Cell division and the maintenance of epithelial order #MMPMID25349258
Ragkousi K; Gibson MC
J Cell Biol 2014[Oct]; 207 (2): 181-8 PMID25349258show ga
Epithelia are polarized layers of adherent cells that are the building blocks for organ and appendage structures throughout animals. To preserve tissue architecture and barrier function during both homeostasis and rapid growth, individual epithelial cells divide in a highly constrained manner. Building on decades of research focused on single cells, recent work is probing the mechanisms by which the dynamic process of mitosis is reconciled with the global maintenance of epithelial order during development. These studies reveal how symmetrically dividing cells both exploit and conform to tissue organization to orient their mitotic spindles during division and establish new adhesive junctions during cytokinesis.