Mitotic Cortical Waves Predict Future Division Sites by Encoding Positional and Size Information

Dynamic spatial patterns such as traveling waves could theoretically encode spatial information, but little is known about whether or how they are employed by biological systems, especially higher eukaryotes. Here, we show that concentric target or spiral waves of active Cdc42 and the F-BAR protein FBP17 are invoked in adherent cells at the onset of mitosis. These waves predict the future sites of cell divisions and represent the earliest known spatial cues for furrow assembly. Unlike interphase waves, the frequencies and wavelengths of the mitotic waves display size-dependent scaling properties. While the positioning role of the metaphase waves requires microtubule dynamics, spindle and microtubule-independent inhibitory signals are propagated by the mitotic waves to ensure the singularity of furrow formation. Taken together, we propose that metaphase cortical waves integrate positional and cell size information for division-plane specification in adhesion-dependent cytokinesis.