Cytoplasmic protein motility and polarized sorting during asymmetric cell division

Cell polarity is inherent to the process of asymmetric cell division, which relies on the asymmetric distribution of multiple polarity proteins and cell-fate determinants in the cell cortex. The establishment and maintenance of cell polarity require the orchestration of numerous cellular processes. These include cytoplasmic movements, cytoskeleton dynamics, and different signaling events. Equally relevant is the plasma membrane composition, such as the lipid environment that endows particular membrane subdomains with specific characteristics. Sorting receptors and sorting determinants, including posttranslational modifications, also contribute to cell polarization. Together, all these mechanisms would be expected to have great relevance in the context of asymmetric cell division, an essential process in both physiological and pathological conditions. WIREs Dev Biol 2013, 2:797–808. doi: 10.1002/wdev.116 Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.