The preprophase band of microtubules: does it block cleavage?
The preprophase band of microtubules is known to predict the future plane of cytokinesis accurately in both symmetric and asymmetric divisions of the cell. Of the three major types of cytokinetic systems which are now known, so far there are no reports of systems that divide by cleavage having preprophase bands of microtubules. It is proposed that a major function of a preprohase band is to prevent the initiation of cleavage in systems which require the development of a phragmoplast to hold daughter nuclei apart after telophase.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology*; D008938:Mitosis; D010944:Plants