Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
10:03
Rapid and Robust Analysis of Cellular and Molecular Polarization Induced by Chemokine Signaling
Published on: December 12, 2014
Polarity and lymphocyte fate determination
1Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. changj@ucsd.edu
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|June 5, 2012
Summary
Lymphocyte polarity, crucial for cell functions, may also coordinate asymmetric cell division. This process allows a single cell to produce two distinct daughter cells, a key mechanism in early development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Cell polarity is essential for lymphocyte functions like migration and signaling.
- Recent research suggests polarity also plays a role in naive lymphocyte division.
- Asymmetric cell division is a fundamental process for generating cellular diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent findings on lymphocyte polarity.
- To explore the role of polarity in coordinating asymmetric cell division in lymphocytes.
- To discuss the implications of asymmetric division in lymphocyte development.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on lymphocyte polarity.
- Analysis of research on asymmetric cell division mechanisms.
- Synthesis of findings linking polarity to cell division outcomes.
Main Results:
- Polarity in lymphocytes is increasingly recognized beyond migration and signaling.
- Evidence suggests lymphocyte polarity coordinates asymmetric cell division.
- Asymmetric division generates distinct daughter cells, impacting immune cell development.
Conclusions:
- Lymphocyte polarity has a novel proposed function in orchestrating asymmetric cell division.
- Asymmetric division is a critical, evolutionarily conserved mechanism in lymphocytes.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the role of polarity in lymphocyte asymmetric division.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Lineage Commitment
Commitment is the process whereby stem cells:
01:21Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins
Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...
01:18Polarity of the Cytoskeleton
The intrinsic polarity of cells can be primarily attributed to two factors- i) the asymmetric accumulation of mobile components such are regulatory molecules and subcellular components across the cell and ii) the orientation of polar cytoskeletal filaments that make up the cytoskeletal networks, specifically microfilaments, and microtubules arranged along the axis of polarity. Interactions between the cytoskeletal filaments are crucial for the establishment and maintenance of the polar nature...
01:51Determination
During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...
01:23Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
01:24B Cell Activation and Differentiation
The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...