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Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Determining 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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Published on: June 5, 2018

Mechanical constraints regulate embryonic stem cell mitosis in the developing brain.

Véronique Marthiens¹, Lin Jawish², Margaux Malosse²

¹Biology of Centrosomes and Genetic Instability team, Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche 144, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL Research University), Paris, France. veronique.marthiens@curie.fr.

The EMBO Journal

|July 10, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Tissue biomechanics influence cell division. High cell density in developing brains causes mechanical stress, disrupting chromosome segregation during mitosis in apical radial glial cells.

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Published on: November 26, 2019

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex

Published on: June 4, 2014

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Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

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In Vitro Reconstitution of Spatial Cell Contact Patterns with Isolated Caenorhabditis elegans Embryo Blastomeres and Adhesive Polystyrene Beads

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Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex

Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex

Published on: June 4, 2014

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Developmental Biology
Biophysics

Background:

Mitosis regulation is primarily studied through cell-autonomous mechanisms.
The influence of tissue properties on spindle assembly and chromosome segregation is largely unknown.
Understanding the interplay between the tissue environment and mitotic fidelity is crucial for developmental processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how tissue properties, specifically cell density, affect mitotic fidelity in the mammalian embryonic brain.
To elucidate the biomechanical mechanisms by which tissue environment influences spindle assembly and chromosome segregation.
To identify molecular players linking mechanical stress to mitotic regulation.

Main Methods:

High-resolution microscopy in mammalian embryonic brain models.
Pharmacological perturbations to modulate cellular and tissue properties.
Minimal cell systems to isolate the contribution of the tissue environment.
Analysis of microtubule dynamics and chromosome segregation fidelity.

Main Results:

Increased cell density imposes biomechanical constraints on apical radial glial (aRG) cells.
These constraints enhance spindle pole microtubule polymerization rates, leading to increased chromosome mis-segregation.
Cortical tension, mediated by branched actin organization, transmits mechanical stress from cell density.
The microtubule depolymerase MCAK/Kif2C acts as a downstream effector, linking actin dynamics to spindle pole activity.

Conclusions:

Apical radial glial cells are mechanosensitive during their proliferative expansion phase.
Excessive biomechanical stress from high cell density can disrupt mitotic fidelity in developing tissues.
Tissue microenvironment plays a significant role in regulating cell division accuracy during development.