What is it about?
We show unambigiously and for first time that during cell division the "mother" cell increases its volume while its mass is kept constant. This volume increase is transient meaning that it goes back to its original volume at the end of mitosis. In order to demonstrate this iswelling, we have adapted a method to measure accuratelly the volume of large numbers of cells through time independantly of their shape changes.
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Why is it important?
Our study thus contributes to clarify a debated point and unambiguously shows that cells transiently increase their volume during mitosis. This increase results in a dilution of the cytoplasm, which might have a strong impact on out-of-equilibrium biochemical processes taking place during cell division. This swelling also suggests that most cells are potentially able to exert strong pushing forces, most likely via activation of ion pumps. The method developed could also be useful for other researchers to investigate cellular volume regulation in other cellular processes.
Perspectives
The precise role of this swelling is still to be elucidated. Could the dilution of the cytoplasm play a crucial role in the complex processes occuring during mitosis? Is the volume increase necessary to diviside in crowded tissues? Moreover, determining which of ion pumps controls the swelling could help design new drugs to specifically affect dividing cells embedded in stiff environments such as solid tumors.
Dr Sylvain Monnier
Université Claude Bernard Lyon
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This page is a summary of: Optical volume and mass measurements show that mammalian cells swell during mitosis, The Journal of Cell Biology, November 2015, Rockefeller University Press,
DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201505056.
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