Spatio-temporally separated cortical flows and spindle geometry establish physical asymmetry in fly neural stem cells.

Asymmetric cell division, creating sibling cells with distinct developmental potentials, can be manifested in sibling cell size asymmetry. This form of physical asymmetry occurs in several metazoan cells, but the underlying mechanisms and function are incompletely understood. Here we use Drosophila neural stem cells to elucidate the mechanisms involved in physical asymmetry establishment. We show that Myosin relocalizes to the cleavage furrow via two distinct cortical Myosin flows: at anaphase onset, a polarity induced, basally directed Myosin flow clears Myosin from the apical cortex. Subsequently, mitotic spindle cues establish a Myosin gradient at the lateral neuroblast cortex, necessary to trigger an apically directed flow, removing Actomyosin from the basal cortex. On the basis of the data presented here, we propose that spatiotemporally controlled Myosin flows in conjunction with spindle positioning and spindle asymmetry are key determinants for correct cleavage furrow placement and cortical expansion, thereby establishing physical asymmetry.

Myosin efflux promotes cell elongation to coordinate chromosome segregation with cell cleavage.

Chromatid segregation must be coordinated with cytokinesis to preserve genomic stability. Here we report that cells clear trailing chromatids from the cleavage site by undergoing two phases of cell elongation. The first phase relies on the assembly of a wide contractile ring. The second phase requires the activity of a pool of myosin that flows from the ring and enriches the nascent daughter cell cortices. This myosin efflux is a novel feature of cytokinesis and its duration is coupled to nuclear envelope reassembly and the nuclear sequestration of the Rho-GEF Pebble. Trailing chromatids induce a delay in nuclear envelope reassembly concomitant with prolonged cortical myosin activity, thus providing forces for the second elongation. We propose that the modulation of cortical myosin dynamics is part of the cellular response triggered by a "chromatid separation checkpoint" that delays nuclear envelope reassembly and, consequently, Pebble nuclear sequestration when trailing chromatids are present at the midzone.Chromatid segregation must be coordinated with cytokinesis to preserve genomic stability. Here the authors show that cells clear trailing chromatids from the cleavage site in a two-step cell elongation and demonstrate the role of myosin efflux in the second phase.

Cell Polarity Regulates Biased Myosin Activity and Dynamics during Asymmetric Cell Division via Drosophila Rho Kinase and Protein Kinase N.

Cell and tissue morphogenesis depends on the correct regulation of non-muscle Myosin II, but how this motor protein is spatiotemporally controlled is incompletely understood. Here, we show that in asymmetrically dividing Drosophila neural stem cells, cell intrinsic polarity cues provide spatial and temporal information to regulate biased Myosin activity. Using live cell imaging and a genetically encoded Myosin activity sensor, we found that Drosophila Rho kinase (Rok) enriches for activated Myosin on the neuroblast cortex prior to nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB). After NEB, the conserved polarity protein Partner of Inscuteable (Pins) sequentially enriches Rok and Protein Kinase N (Pkn) on the apical neuroblast cortex. Our data suggest that apical Rok first increases phospho-Myosin, followed by Pkn-mediated Myosin downregulation, possibly through Rok inhibition. We propose that polarity-induced spatiotemporal control of Rok and Pkn is important for unequal cortical expansion, ensuring correct cleavage furrow positioning and the establishment of physical asymmetry.