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. 2013 May-Jun;4(3):160-5.
doi: 10.4161/nucl.24676. Epub 2013 Apr 15.

The cell biology of open and closed mitosis

Barbara Boettcher  1 , Yves Barral
Affiliations

The cell biology of open and closed mitosis

Barbara Boettcher et al. Nucleus. 2013 May-Jun.

Abstract

Mitosis is the process of one cell dividing into two daughters, such that each inherits a single and complete copy of the genome of their mother. This is achieved through the equal segregation of the sister chromatids between the daughter cells. However, beyond this simple principle, the partitioning of other cellular components between daughter cells appears to follow a large variety of patterns. We discuss here how the organization of the nuclear envelope during mitosis influences cell division and, subsequently, cellular identity.

Keywords: asymmetric cell division; closed mitosis; compartmentalization; nuclear envelope; open mitosis.

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Figures

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Figure 1. Late anaphase / telophase during closed mitosis without nucleoplasmic spindle microtubules or SPB-microtubule contacts. (A) Chromosomes (dark blue) of the dinoflagellate G. cohnii are separated as they slide along NE tubes, which enwrap microtubule bundles penetrating in the nucleoplasm (light blue). (B) Nuclei of the fission yeast S. pombe dividing with or without microtubules or with microtubules attached to the SPB.
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Figure 2. Different fates of the nuclear envelope during anaphase: “intact” (red) during closed mitosis in S.cerevisiae separating nucleoplasm (light red) and cytoplasm (light blue), “fenestrated” (orange) during semi-open mitosis in S. japonicus and U. maydis. allowing nucleoplasm and cytoplasm to mix (purple) and “completely disassembled,” incorporated into the ER (green) during open mitosis in human cell lines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

  • Boettcher B, Marquez-Lago TT, Bayer M, Weiss EL, Barral Y. Nuclear envelope morphology constrains diffusion and promotes asymmetric protein segregation in closed mitosis. J Cell Biol. 2012;197:921–37. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201112117.

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