Hydrostatic pressure and the actomyosin cortex drive mitotic cell rounding

Martin P. Stewart, Jonne Helenius, Yusuke Toyoda, Subramanian P. Ramanathan, Daniel J. Muller () and Anthony A. Hyman ()
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Martin P. Stewart: ETH Zürich, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
Jonne Helenius: ETH Zürich, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
Yusuke Toyoda: Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, D-1307 Dresden, Germany
Subramanian P. Ramanathan: ETH Zürich, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
Daniel J. Muller: ETH Zürich, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
Anthony A. Hyman: Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, D-1307 Dresden, Germany

Nature, 2011, vol. 469, issue 7329, 226-230

Abstract: What makes cells go round Forces that drive cell shape changes are fundamental to development. During mitosis, adherent cells change from a flattened to rounded morphology, and this is thought to be necessary for the geometric requirements of cell division. Stewart et al. study the forces that drive this shape change. They find that the mitotic rounding force depends both on the actomyosin cytoskeleton and the cell's ability to regulate osmolarity. The rounding force is generated by osmotic pressure, and the actomyosin cortex maintains this rounding pressure against external forces. These results support the idea that in animal cells, the actomyosin cortex behaves as an internal cell wall, directing osmotic expansion to control cell shape.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09642

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