Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026
11:19
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Cytokinetic Events in Fission Yeast
Published on: February 20, 2017
A spindle-independent cleavage furrow positioning pathway.
Clemens Cabernard1, Kenneth E Prehoda, Chris Q Doe
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA.
Nature
|September 3, 2010
Summary
A novel spindle-independent mechanism positions the cleavage furrow in Drosophila neuroblasts. A Pins cortical polarity pathway directs furrow proteins to the basal cortex, influencing cell division site determination.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The mitotic spindle is traditionally considered the primary determinant of cleavage furrow site during metazoan cell division.
- The existence of alternative mechanisms for cleavage furrow positioning remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential spindle-independent mechanisms governing cleavage furrow localization in Drosophila neuroblasts.
- To elucidate the role of cortical polarity pathways in regulating cell division site determination.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Drosophila neuroblasts as a model system.
- Investigated the localization of key furrow proteins (Pavarotti, Anillin, Myosin) at the basal cortex.
- Examined the effects of spindle rotation and displacement on furrow formation.
- Analyzed the involvement of the Pins cortical polarity pathway.
Main Results:
- Identified a spindle-independent mechanism for cleavage furrow positioning in Drosophila neuroblasts.
- Demonstrated that Pins cortical polarity pathway proteins localize early and late furrow proteins to the neuroblast basal cortex.
- Showed that this pathway can induce a basally displaced furrow even without a mitotic spindle.
- Observed the formation of two distinct furrows (polarity-induced and spindle-induced) upon spindle manipulation.
Conclusions:
- A spindle-independent mechanism, mediated by the Pins cortical polarity pathway, contributes to cleavage furrow positioning in Drosophila neuroblasts.
- This mechanism may be crucial for cell division in other highly polarized cells, including mammalian neural progenitors.
- The findings challenge the exclusive role of the mitotic spindle in determining the cell division site.
Related Concept Videos
02:13Determining the Plane of Cell Division
Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function.
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
02:13Determining the Plane of Cell Division
Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function.
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
02:19The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint
The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
02:19The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint
The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
02:50Spindle Assembly
Spindle assembly occurs through three, often coexisting, pathways – the centrosome-mediated pathway, the chromatin-mediated pathway, and the microtubule-mediated pathway – collectively contributing to form a robust spindle apparatus.
In most cells, centrosomes are the primary microtubule nucleation centers. In the centrosome-mediated pathway, the G2-prophase transition triggers centrosome maturation and increased microtubule nucleation. Progressive nucleation results in a microtubule array...
In most cells, centrosomes are the primary microtubule nucleation centers. In the centrosome-mediated pathway, the G2-prophase transition triggers centrosome maturation and increased microtubule nucleation. Progressive nucleation results in a microtubule array...
01:33Cleavage and Blastulation
After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.