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Nature 419, 27-28 (5 September 2002) | doi:10.1038/419027a

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Cell biology: Spinning actin to divide

Shuh Narumiya1 & Issei Mabuchi2

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When our cells divide, they are cut down the middle by a tightening belt of proteins. New work reveals that the protein filaments in this belt are made from scratch every time.

The ability of cells to multiply lies at the heart of many biological processes. In multicellular organisms such as ourselves, cell proliferation is essential for growth and development, and to replace cells spent by daily wear and tear.

  1. Shuh Narumiya is in the Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
  2. Issei Mabuchi is in the Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
  3. e-mail: Email: snaru@mfour.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp
    e-mail: Email: mabuchi@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp