In cell biology, the cleavage furrow is the indentation of the cell's surface that begins the progression of cleavage, by which animal and some algal cells undergo

cytokinesis Cytokinesis () is the part of the cell division process during which the cytoplasm of a single eukaryotic cell divides into two daughter cells. Cytoplasmic division begins during or after the late stages of nuclear division in mitosis and mei ...

, the final splitting of the membrane, in the process of

cell division Cell division is the process by which a parent cell divides into two daughter cells. Cell division usually occurs as part of a larger cell cycle in which the cell grows and replicates its chromosome(s) before dividing. In eukaryotes, there ...

. The same proteins responsible for muscle contraction,

actin Actin is a family of globular multi-functional proteins that form microfilaments in the cytoskeleton, and the thin filaments in muscle fibrils. It is found in essentially all eukaryotic cells, where it may be present at a concentration of ov ...

and

myosin Myosins () are a superfamily of motor proteins best known for their roles in muscle contraction and in a wide range of other motility processes in eukaryotes. They are ATP-dependent and responsible for actin-based motility. The first myosin (M ...

, begin the process of forming the cleavage furrow, creating an actomyosin ring. Other

cytoskeletal The cytoskeleton is a complex, dynamic network of interlinking protein filaments present in the cytoplasm of all cells, including those of bacteria and archaea. In eukaryotes, it extends from the cell nucleus to the cell membrane and is compo ...

proteins and actin binding proteins are involved in the procedure.

Mechanism

Plant cells do not perform cytokinesis through this exact method but the two procedures are not totally different. Animal cells form an actin-myosin contractile ring within the equatorial region of the

cell membrane The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane (PM) or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment (t ...

that constricts to form the cleavage furrow. In plant cells, Golgi vesicle secretions form a cell plate or septum on the equatorial plane of the cell wall by the action of

microtubules Microtubules are polymers of tubulin that form part of the cytoskeleton and provide structure and shape to eukaryotic cells. Microtubules can be as long as 50 micrometres, as wide as 23 to 27 nm and have an inner diameter between 11 a ...

of the

phragmoplast image:Phragmoplast.png, 300px, Phragmoplast and cell plate formation in a plant cell during cytokinesis. Left side: Phragmoplast forms and cell plate starts to assemble in the center of the cell. Towards the right: Phragmoplast enlarges in a donut- ...

. The cleavage furrow in animal cells and the phragmoplast in plant cells are complex structures made up of

and

microfilaments Microfilaments, also called actin filaments, are protein filaments in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells that form part of the cytoskeleton. They are primarily composed of polymers of actin, but are modified by and interact with numerous other pr ...

that aide in the final separation of the cells into two identical

daughter cell Cell division is the process by which a parent cell divides into two daughter cells. Cell division usually occurs as part of a larger cell cycle in which the cell grows and replicates its chromosome(s) before dividing. In eukaryotes, there ar ...

Cell cycle

The

cell cycle The cell cycle, or cell-division cycle, is the series of events that take place in a cell that cause it to divide into two daughter cells. These events include the duplication of its DNA (DNA replication) and some of its organelles, and sub ...

begins with interphase when the DNA replicates, the cell grows and prepares to enter mitosis.

Mitosis In cell biology, mitosis () is a part of the cell cycle in which replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Cell division by mitosis gives rise to genetically identical cells in which the total number of chromosomes is maintai ...

includes four phases,

prophase Prophase () is the first stage of cell division in both mitosis and meiosis. Beginning after interphase, DNA has already been replicated when the cell enters prophase. The main occurrences in prophase are the condensation of the chromatin ret ...

metaphase Metaphase ( and ) is a stage of mitosis in the eukaryotic cell cycle in which chromosomes are at their second-most condensed and coiled stage (they are at their most condensed in anaphase). These chromosomes, carrying genetic information, a ...

anaphase Anaphase () is the stage of mitosis after the process of metaphase, when replicated chromosomes are split and the newly-copied chromosomes (daughter chromatids) are moved to opposite poles of the cell. Chromosomes also reach their overall maxim ...

, and telophase. Prophase is the initial phase when spindle fibers appear that function to move the

chromosomes A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins ar ...

toward opposite poles. This spindle apparatus consists of microtubules, microfilaments and a complex network of various proteins. During metaphase, the chromosomes line up using the spindle apparatus in the middle of the cell along the equatorial plate. The chromosomes move to opposite poles during anaphase and remain attached to the spindle fibers by their centromeres. Animal cell cleavage furrow formation is caused by a ring of actin microfilaments called the contractile ring, which forms during early anaphase. Myosin is present in the region of the contractile ring as concentrated microfilaments and actin filaments are predominant in this region. The actin filaments here are both pre-existing and new. Cleavage is driven by these

motor proteins Motor proteins are a class of molecular motors that can move along the cytoplasm of cells. They convert chemical energy into mechanical work by the hydrolysis of ATP. Flagellar rotation, however, is powered by a proton pump. Cellular function ...

, actin and myosin, which are the same proteins involved with muscle contraction. During cellular cleavage, the contractile ring tightens around the

cytoplasm In cell biology, the cytoplasm is all of the material within a eukaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, except for the cell nucleus. The material inside the nucleus and contained within the nuclear membrane is termed the nucleoplasm. ...

of the cell until the cytoplasm is pinched into two daughter cells. During the final phase of mitosis, telophase, the furrow forms an intercellular bridge using mitotic spindle fibers. Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) has been shown to be present during this time which indicates that is may play a role in movement between the plasma membrane and contractile ring. The bridge is then broken and resealed to form two identical daughter cells during cytokinesis. The breakage is formed by microtubules and the resealing is negated by Calcium dependent exocytosis using Golgi vesicles. In comparison, the plant cell septum and the animal cell mid-zone are analogous. Both require vesicular secretions by the Golgi apparatus for resealing and formation of the cytoskeletal network in addition to microtubules and microfilaments for division and movement. The cleavage furrow mechanism in animal cells is a complex network of actin and myosin filaments, Golgi vesicles and Calcium dependent channels enabling the cell to break apart, reseal and form new daughter cells with complete membranes.

References

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