Cytokinesis and post-abscission midbody remnants are regulated during mammalian brain development

McNeely et al. quantitatively analyze polarized cytokinetic furrow ingression and abscission in mouse neuroepithelium by live imaging. The findings show important differences from HeLa cells, and suggest abscission timing and midbody release may be developmentally regulated, to influence daughter cell fate during brain growth. AbstractWhile mechanisms of cytokinesis have been identified in single cell models, the spatial and temporal regulation in developing tissues is less understood. Here we compare cytokinetic furrowing and abscission in mouse neuroepithelial stem cells (NESCs) at different developmental stages and in a cytokinesis mutant, including imaging abscission dynamics in a polarized epithelium for the first time. We find that asymmetric furrows of NESCs ingress at a constant but slow rate, and form the midbody at the apical membrane. Usually, bilateral abscission on each midbody flank releases the midbody remnant extracellularly. Interestingly, midbody remnants are more associated with early proliferative divisions. Unexpectedly, in the microcephalic Kif20b mutant, abscission is accelerated and occurs when the midbody is wider. The daughter cells of mutant NESCs show increased cell cycle exit that is p53-independent. We suggest that abscission mechanisms are developmentally regulated. These results provide significant insight into adaptations of a fundamental cell biological process required for proper brain growth.