Regulating Cell Shape During Cytokinesis

Abstract

During cytokinesis, the last step in cell division, cells must rearrange their shape so as to produce two daughter cells of equal size. To this end, the temporal and spatial distribution of a wide variety of proteins must be coordinated. In this paper we review some of the basic steps in the process. Moreover, we argue that a key step in the process is the feedback regulation of motor proteins. In doing so, we show that the study of cellular shape change can benefit from a systems-level approach.