Endocytosis and mitosis: a two-way relationship

Cell division involves a vast remodelling of cellular membranes. This is most apparent for the cell surface, but it is also true for internal vesicular organelles such as the Golgi apparatus. while the contribution of endocytosis to membrane trafficking and signal processing in interphase cells is well established, the role of the endocytic system in cell division has long been neglected. A number of recent studies have however shed novel light on this issue. Here, we review findings supporting the existence of two important links between endocytosis and mitosis: First, endocytic trafficking is essential to reshape the plasma membrane during cell division. Second, cell division affects the partitioning, the trafficking and hence the activity of the signalling molecules that are contained within endocytic compartments.