Tension in the Cytokinetic Contractile Ring Depends on the Mobility of Actin and Myosin-II Anchors

Abstract

Cytokinesis, the physical process of cell division, is accomplished by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring anchored to the plasma membrane. In fission yeast, the contractile ring assembles via coalescence of ∼65 membrane-anchored precursor nodes containing myosin-II and actin filaments whose barbed ends are capped by formin Cdc12p. Once assembled, constricting rings have irregular, random organizations and the available evidence suggests that actin barbed ends and myosin-II remain anchored.