Cell division articles from across Nature Portfolio

Peroxisomes are essential but their role in cell fate regulation remains understudied. Here, the authors reveal that young and old peroxisomes are not equally distributed in asymmetrically dividing stem cells, and peroxisome inheritance influences daughter cell fate.

The DNA breaks that initiate recombination during meiosis are resected by nucleases, but the mechanism of this resection in mammals is poorly understood. Here, the authors examine the roles of the MRE11-RAD50- NBS1 complex in beginning and extending resection during meiosis in male mice.

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are known for their role in RNA modification to regulate gene expression. Here, the authors identify a snoRNA that not only guides ribosomal RNA 2’- O-methylation but also modulates the activities of RNA-binding proteins involved in fission yeast gametogenesis.

Stamatov et al. introduce Facilitated Segmentation and Tracking of Chromosomes in Mitosis Pipeline (FAST CHIMP), which combines time-lapse super-resolution microscopy with deep learning to study chromatin dynamics in live cells.

In each cell division during early embryogenesis, daughter cells acquire half the size of the mother cell. A study now reports that cytoplasmic flows sensing the cell boundaries allow daughter cells to adapt to their new size and reform their nuclear envelope in the right position.

Aneuploidy is a major cause of embryonic failure and miscarriage. A new study identifies genetic variants of ELL3 associated with miscarriage and discovers a novel role for ELL3 in female meiosis.

Errors in chromosome segregation during cell division lead to changes in nuclear features. A study now shows that a mechanosensitive nuclear checkpoint activates the tumour suppressor p53 to halt the proliferation of aneuploid cells. These findings provide mechanistic insights to explore in both ageing and cancer pathologies.

Chromosome segregation errors are common in the early stages of human embryonic development. By examining the first mitotic divisions of human embryos using live cell imaging, three recent studies identify spindle architecture and positioning features that could provide insights into why early embryos are predisposed to chromosomal abnormalities.

The Collection “DNA Replication and Replication Stress” brings together original research articles, critical reviews, and perspectives from scientists with diverse viewpoints and areas of expertise in DNA replication, genome integrity, and cancer.

In this Tools of the Trade article, Cao (Baskin lab) discusses the development of MARS, which enables mitosis-specific recruitment of enzymes to the plasma membrane, exploiting the cell cycle’s natural regulation of PLEKHA5 phosphorylation.