Cell differentiation: midbody remnants - junk or fate factors?

Curr Biol. 2011 Dec 6;21(23):R958-60. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.10.035. Epub 2011 Dec 5.

Abstract

The midbody is an electron-dense structure that forms between two dividing daughter cells, and a midbody remnant is left after completion of cell separation. This structure has been regarded as a piece of cellular debris, but two recent papers suggest an unexpected function for the midbody remnant in promoting an undifferentiated cellular phenotype.

MeSH terms

  • Autophagy / physiology
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / physiology
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology*
  • Cell Division / physiology*
  • Microtubules / physiology
  • Models, Biological*
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / physiology

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins