Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Study may aid efforts to prevent uncontrolled cell division in cancer

Study may aid efforts to prevent uncontrolled cell division in cancer

May 29, 2009

Researchers from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered a remarkable property of the contractile ring, a structure required for cell division. Understanding how the contractile ring works to divide the cell may facilitate development of therapies to prevent uncontrolled cell division in cancer.

The researchers show that - even though both cell volume and the length of the contractile ring are reduced during successive rounds of embryonic cell division - the duration or timing of cell division remains the same. Their study will be published in the May 29 issue of the journal Cell.




"We showed that contractile rings constrict at a constant rate that is proportional to the initial size of the cell, so that rings in larger cells constrict proportionally faster than rings in smaller cells," said Karen Oegema, PhD, associate professor at the Ludwig Institute and the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. "Because of this property, the time required to complete cell division remains the same during embryogenesis, even as cells get smaller."

During their early development, embryos are progressively partitioned into smaller and smaller cells by successive rounds of cell division. The division of one cell into two is accomplished by the contractile ring, which is assembled from two protein filament types also used in muscle. During cell division, the genome is replicated and the two copies are separated to opposite sides of the cell. A contractile ring forms a belt around the cell middle; constriction or closure of this ring "tightens the belt," pinching the mother cell into two daughter cells.

In early embryogenesis, cell volume and the length of the contractile ring around the cell middle are reduced at each successive round of cell division. By contrast, the dimension of the chromosomes - which carry the genetic material that is segregated to the daughter cells - remains constant. The discovery that contractile rings constrict at a constant rate, proportionate to the initial cell size, opens the door to further studies of the mechanism.

"Further studies of the contractile ring could ultimately lead to improved therapies for cancer," said first author Ana Carvalho, PhD. "Understanding the cellular machinery required for cell division may teach us how to prevent the uncontrolled cell division that occurs in cancer."

University of California - San Diego



Related Cell Division Current Events and Cell Division News Articles Cell Division Current Events and Cell Division News RSS Cell Division Current Events and Cell Division News RSS
Researchers discover mechanism that prevents two species from reproducing
Cornell researchers have discovered a genetic mechanism in fruit flies that prevents two closely related species from reproducing, a finding that offers clues to how species evolve.

Common weed could provide clues on aging and cancer
A common weed and human cancer cells could provide some very uncommon details about DNA structure and its relationship with telomeres and how they affect cellular aging and cancer, according to a team led by scientists from Texas A&M University and the University of Cincinnati (UC).

Boston University scientists first to see RNA network in live bacterial cells
Scientists who study RNA have faced a formidable roadblock: trying to examine RNA's movements in a living cell when they can't see the RNA. Now, a new technology has given scientists the first look ever at RNA in a live bacteria cell-a sight that could offer new information about how the molecule moves and works.

Texas A&M researchers find new mechanism for circadian rhythm
Molecules that may hold the key to new ways to fight cancer and other diseases have been found to play an important role in regulating circadian rhythm, says Liheng Shi, a researcher in Texas A&M's Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences.

Checkered history of mother and daughter cells explains cell cycle differences
When mother and daughter cells are created each time a cell divides, they are not exactly alike. They have the same set of genes, but differ in the way they regulate them.

Eutrophication affects diversity of algae
Eutrophication of the seas may have an impact on genetic variation in algae, research at the University of Gothenburg shows.

MDC scientists show how hematopoietic stem cell development is regulated
During cell division, whether hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) will develop into new stem cells (self-renewal) or differentiate into other blood cells depends on a chemical process called DNA methylation.

The amazing maze of maize evolution
Understanding the evolution and domestication of maize has been a holy grail for many researchers. As one of the most important crops worldwide and as a crop that appears very different from its wild relatives as a result of domestication, understanding exactly how maize has evolved has many practical benefits and may help to improve crop yields.

Draft potato genome based on unique potato variety
The Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium (PGSC), an international team of scientists from industry and academia in 14 countries, has released a draft sequence of the potato genome with the help of a Virginia Tech researcher.

Novel 'on-off switch' mechanism stops cancer in its tracks
A tiny bit of genetic material with no previously known function may hold the key to stopping the spread of cancer, researchers at Yale School of Medicine and Sichuan University in Chengdu, China report in two papers in the September 7-11 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
More Cell Division Current Events and Cell Division News Articles
The Cell Cycle: Principles of Control (Primers in Biology) (Primers in Biology)

The Cell Cycle: Principles of Control (Primers in Biology) (Primers in Biology)
by David O. Morgan (Author)

The Cell Cycle is an account of the mechanisms that control cell division, beginning with a description of the phases and main events of the cell cycle and the main model organisms in cell-cycle analysis, including Xenopus, Drosophila, and yeasts. Later chapters focus on the molecules and mechanisms of the cell-cycle control system, including the cyclin-dependent kinase family of protein kinases, the cyclins that activate them, and the signaling molecules that regulate them, and discuss cell-cycle control in development and the failure of controls in cancer.

Teaching Systems Biology Module 4: Cell Division & Metabolism

Teaching Systems Biology Module 4: Cell Division & Metabolism
Starring: Standard Deviants
Directed By: Standard Deviants

The DVD features award-winning Standard Deviants School programming, which will capture your students' attention and make the subject come alive! Content includes a topic based video programming, classroom notes, graphic handouts, quiz, and answer questions plus a fact filled video segment accompanied by quiz and discussion questions. Cerebellum Teaching System equips you with everything you need to succeed where it matter most: the classroom. Topics covered: Cell division, DNA replication, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, the principle of segregation, the principle of independent assortment, metabolism, photosynthesis, oxidation & reduction.

SciEd Cell Division: Mitosis, Meiosis, and Cytokinesis VHS Video

SciEd Cell Division: Mitosis, Meiosis, and Cytokinesis VHS Video
by Neo/Sci Corporation

Cell Division Video VHS

The Dead Rose

The Dead Rose
Cell Division (Primary Contributor)



Cell Division 1: Mitosis & the Cell Cycle

Cell Division 1: Mitosis & the Cell Cycle
by iKnow

Use the power of 3-D animation to excite your students about cell division! They will learn the phases of mitosis in animal and plant cells, and the difference between mitosis and cytokinesis. Students can compare and contrast the phases of mitosis in side-by-side plant and animal cell micrographs. Video microscopy makes mitosis come alive in an amphibian lung cell and a zebrafish embryo. The eukaryotic cell cycle is presented in detail in 6 fully narrated animations. Topics covered include: DNA replication and structure, cell cycle variations, molecular control of a cell's progress through the cell cycle, and a discussion of cancer. Students will explore the anatomy of plant, animal, and bacteria cells with interactive diagrams and definitions. Prokaryotic cell division is compared to...

Midnight

Midnight
Also With: J.J. Abrams (Producer), Alex Kurtzman (Producer), Roberto Orci (Producer), Jeff Pinkner (Producer), Bryan Burk (Producer)



  MOOSE UTILITY DIVISION MUD RADIO/GPS/CELL MOUNT A710BLK-00-MOO
by MOOSE MUD ATV PARTS

MOOSE UTILITY DIVISION MUD RADIO/GPS/CELL MOUNT A710BLK-00-MOO

Mitosis, Miosis, and Cell Division Slide Set

Mitosis, Miosis, and Cell Division Slide Set

Biology Slide Set I, Bacteria (3 types), oedogonium, moss, fern, ranunculus root, leaf epidermis, lilium leaf, amoeba proteus, paramecium, grantia, hydra, and syringa leaf. Biology Slide Set II, Physarum, spirogyra, wheat rust, molds (3 types), marchantia (male),herb and woody stems, corn stem, corn root, lily ovary, euglena, obelia hydroid, and planaria. Bacteria, Fungi, and Slime Molds, Physarum, mouth smear, coccus, bacillus, spirillum, molds (3 types), saccharomyces, wheat rust, coprinus, and stemonitis. Mitosis, Meiosis, and Cell Division, Paramecium fission, allium root tip, hydra budding, saccharomyces, whitefish mitosis, ascaris mitosis, grasshopper testis, and lilium. General Botany, Stemonitis, nostoc, hydrodictyon, penicillium, polysiphonia, wheat rust, molds (3 types),...

Powerboy And The Queen

Powerboy And The Queen
Julian Snow Index (Primary Contributor)



  Cell Division VHS
by Rainbow

Learn all about the cell division processes of mitosis and meiosis.

© 2009 BrightSurf.com