Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Studying Cell Cycle-regulated Gene Expression by Two Complementary Cell Synchronization Protocols
12:02

Studying Cell Cycle-regulated Gene Expression by Two Complementary Cell Synchronization Protocols

Published on: June 6, 2017

Cell-cycle regulation

Sander van den Heuvel1

  • 1Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA. heuvel@helix.mgh.harvard.edu

Wormbook : the Online Review of C. Elegans Biology
|December 1, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Cell division regulation is key to development. In C. elegans, the CDK inhibitor CKI-1 plays a crucial role in controlling cell division timing, linking it to developmental pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Cycle Regulation
  • Molecular Genetics

Background:

  • Cell-division control is fundamental to organismal development.
  • Numerous Caenorhabditis elegans cell-cycle genes, including Cyclin-Dependent Kinases (CDKs) and their regulators, have been identified.
  • Understanding the cell cycle's integration into broader developmental networks remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of specific cell-cycle regulators in coordinating cell division with development.
  • To investigate the function of CKI-1 within the context of C. elegans developmental pathways.
  • To expand the understanding of the cell cycle as a regulatory network influenced by environmental factors.

Main Methods:

  • Identification and characterization of C. elegans cell-cycle genes.
  • Analysis of CDK activation and inactivation mechanisms.
  • Investigating the function of CKI-1 in temporal cell division control.

Main Results:

  • The balance between CDK activation and inactivation governs cell cycle progression (G1 to S, G2 to M).
  • Regulatory mechanisms of the cell cycle are conserved across eukaryotes.
  • CKI-1, a CDK inhibitor, is critical for temporal control of cell division.
  • CKI-1 may function downstream of heterochronic genes and dauer regulatory pathways.

Conclusions:

  • CKI-1 is a key regulator in the temporal control of cell division during C. elegans development.
  • Integrating cell cycle control with developmental pathways is essential for tissue formation and growth.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the comprehensive regulatory network of cell division.

More Related Videos

Measuring Cell Cycle Progression Kinetics with Metabolic Labeling and Flow Cytometry11:23

Measuring Cell Cycle Progression Kinetics with Metabolic Labeling and Flow Cytometry

Published on: May 22, 2012

Temporal Tracking of Cell Cycle Progression Using Flow Cytometry without the Need for Synchronization08:52

Temporal Tracking of Cell Cycle Progression Using Flow Cytometry without the Need for Synchronization

Published on: August 16, 2015

Related Concept Videos

The Cell Cycle Control System01:28

The Cell Cycle Control System

The cell cycle regulation directs how a cell proceeds from one phase to the next and begins mitosis. The cell cycle control system includes intracellular regulatory molecules and external triggers. They provide "stop" or "advance" signals and operate at specific cell cycle stages termed checkpoints to ensure that a particular process is completed before the cell advances to the next phase.
Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are the primary cell cycle regulators and function at the cell...
The Cell Cycle Control System02:11

The Cell Cycle Control System

The cell cycle is an organized set of events that leads the cell to divide into two daughter cells, each containing chromosomes identical to the parent cell. It is the cell cycle that leads to the formation of an entire organism from a single-cell zygote. Besides, cell division also functions in the renewal or repair of tissues in adult multicellular eukaryotes. For example, in the bone marrow, the stem cells divide to form new blood cells. Although essential for several functions, cell...
The Cell Cycle Control System02:11

The Cell Cycle Control System

The cell cycle is an organized set of events that leads the cell to divide into two daughter cells, each containing chromosomes identical to the parent cell. It is the cell cycle that leads to the formation of an entire organism from a single-cell zygote. Besides, cell division also functions in the renewal or repair of tissues in adult multicellular eukaryotes. For example, in the bone marrow, the stem cells divide to form new blood cells. Although essential for several functions, cell...
Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division01:27

Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division

Several external and internal factors influence the initiation and inhibition of cell division. For instance, the death of nearby cells or the release of human growth hormone (hGH) promotes cell division. In contrast, lack of hGH or crowding of cells can inhibit cell division.
Several proteins function as internal regulators to ensure each cell cycle stage is completed faithfully before proceeding to the next. Regulator molecules may act directly or influence the activity or production of other...
Positive Regulator Molecules01:45

Positive Regulator Molecules

To consistently produce healthy cells, the cell cycle—the process that generates daughter cells—must be precisely regulated.
Positive Regulator Molecules02:39

Positive Regulator Molecules

Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.