Cell division orientation
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Cell division orientation is the direction along which the new daughter cells are formed. Cell division orientation is important for morphogenesis, cell fate and tissue homeostasis. Abnormalities in the cell division orientation leads to the malformations during development and cancerous tissues. Factors that influence cell division orientation are cell shape,[1][2][3] anisotropic localization of specific proteins and mechanical tensions.[4]
Cell division orientation is one of the mechanisms that shapes tissue during development and morphogenesis. Along with cell shape changes, cell rearrangements, apoptosis and growth, oriented cell division modifies the geometry and topology of live tissue in order to create new organs and shape the organisms. Reproducible patterns of oriented cell divisions were described during morphogenesis of Drosophila embryos, Arabidopsis thaliana embryos,[5] Drosophila pupa,[6] zebrafish embryos[7] and mouse early embryos. Oriented cell divisions contribute to the tissue elongation and the release of mechanical stress. While in the first case oriented cell division acts as active contributor to the morphogenesis, the latter case is a passive response to the external mechanical tensions.[8]
