Grant: Project Grant

When cells divide, they not only multiply but also determine their position and orientation within the body-a process crucial for proper development. If this process goes wrong, it can lead to diseases such as cancer and congenital disorders like microcephaly. This project focuses on cytokinesis, the final step of cell division when a single cell splits into two. While much research has explored earlier stages of cell division, how cytokinesis itself becomes asymmetric remains poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests that cortical flow-the movement of a motor protein called myosin across the cell surface-helps control this asymmetry. Interestingly, we have discovered that Wnt signaling, a key pathway involved in human diseases such as colon cancer, regulates cortical flow during cytokinesis. However, how Wnt signaling achieves this control remains unknown. To investigate this, we will use embryos from the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism that shares many of the same cell division mechanisms as humans. Using advanced microscopy, genetic techniques, and mathematical simulations, we will analyze how cortical flow and Wnt signaling work together to break symmetry in cell division. Understanding this fundamental process will not only advance our knowledge of cell division and Wnt signaling but may also provide insights into potential treatments for diseases caused by defects in asymmetric cell division, including cancer.