title: Bulk cytoplasmic actin and its functions in meiosis and mitosis.
abstract: Discussions of actin cell biology generally focus on the cortex, a thin, actin-rich layer of cytoplasm under the plasma membrane. Here we review the much less studied biology of actin filaments deeper in the cytoplasm and their recently revealed functions in mitosis and meiosis that are most prominent in large oocyte, egg and early embryo cells. The cellular functions of cytoplasmic actin range from the assembly and positioning of meiotic spindles to the prevention of cytoplasmic streaming. We discuss the possible use of evolutionarily conserved mechanisms to nucleate and organize actin filaments to achieve these diverse cellular functions, the cell-cycle regulation of these functions, and the many unanswered questions about this largely unexplored mechanism of cytoplasmic organization.
authors: Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Christine_Field@hms.harvard.edu
authors: Christine M
authors: CM
authors: Field
authors: Péter
authors: P
authors: Lénárt
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008540:Meiosis; D051379:Mice; D008938:Mitosis; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013215:Starfish / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D016707:Tissue Fixation
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes