Mechanisms of Cytokinesis in Eukaryotes

Cytokinesis is a universal cellular process in which a cell divides into two. After the mitotic spindle segregates the chromosomes, cytokinesis commences, leading to a dramatic reorganization of the plasma membrane to produce two daughter cells. A key feature of cytokinesis in metazoa and many other eukaryotes is the contractile ring (CR), which assembles at the division cortex in anaphase and constricts to guide ingression of the plasma membrane at the cleavage furrow. The CR consists mainly of actin and myosin-II filaments as well as many actin regulatory proteins. In the final stage of cytokinesis, after ring constriction and disassembly, the remaining connection between the daughter cells is resolved in a process known as abscission.

Many questions remain to be answered for understanding this fundamental cellular process. Cytokinesis is rich topic that draws investigators from many different disciplines and perspectives, working on a variety of organisms throughout the evolutionary tree. The functions of the CR and the molecular mechanisms responsible for its assembly, contraction and spatial and temporal regulation are under active investigation. The CR contributes to changes in cell mechanics that drive large scale changes in cell shape. In addition, the study of cytokinesis in diverse organisms are revealing additional cytokinesis mechanisms, some of which are independent of an actin-based CR. Together, studies on these various systems contribute to a broader understanding of the mechanisms of cytokinesis in eukaryotes.

For this collection of articles for Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, we call for papers on cytokinesis in eukaryotic cells with special reference to CR assembly/disassembly, structure and contraction of CR, and cytokinetic abscission, as well as CR-independent cytokinesis mechanisms.