Developmental biology: Factors of cell divison

Cell division is a fundamental process by which one cell generates a multicellular organism. Thereby, the genetic material gets distributed between two daughter cells by the spindle apparatus. The poles of the spindle apparatus are composed of centrioles which are surrounded by a proteinaceous matrix. The integrity of the spindle poles is crucial to properly form the spindle apparatus and to faithfully divide the cell. Defects in cell division which lead to incorrect segregation of the chromosomes can have grave consequences and are associated with diseases such as cancer.

The group of Tamara Mikeladze-Dvali at the LMU Biocenter has now shown how the proteinaceous matrix and the centrioles are linked together to facilitate spindle pole integrity in C. elegans. The results of the study suggest that the protein PCMD-1 is an essential functional bridge between the centrioles and the surrounding matrix.

Lisa Stenzel, Alina Schreiner, Elisa Zuccoli, Sim Üstüner, Judith Mehler, Esther Zanin, Tamara Mikeladze-Dvali: PCMD-1 bridges the centrioles and the PCM scaffold in C. elegans. In: Development 2021