Animal cell cytokinesis

Cytokinesis creates two daughter cells endowed with a complete set of chrom osomes and cytoplasmic organelles. This conceptually simple event is mediat ed by a complex and dynamic interplay between the microtubules of the mitot ic spindle, the actomyosin cytoskeleton, and membrane fusion events. For ma ny decades the study of cytokinesis was driven by morphological studies on specimens amenable to physical manipulation. The studies led to great insig hts into the cellular structures that orchestrate cell division, but the un derlying molecular machinery was largely unknown. Molecular and genetic app roaches have now allowed the initial steps in the development of a molecula r understanding of this fundamental event in the life of a cell, This revie w provides an overview of the literature on cytokinesis with a particular e mphasis on the molecular pathways involved in the division of animal cells.