GO:0032467 positive regulation of cytokinesis: Mechanism, Genes and Research Methods
Research-grade guide for scientists and biopharma professionals
Key Takeaways
• GO:0032467 (positive regulation of cytokinesis) describes any process that activates or increases the frequency, rate or extent of the division of the cytoplasm and separation into two daughter cells.
• The central spindle and midbody are the key structural hubs where positive regulators such as anillin (ANLN), ESCRT components and ubiquitylation/deubiquitylation enzymes act.
• Anillin is a scaffold protein whose importin-dependent intramolecular regulation controls its localization and function during cytokinesis.
• Dynamic ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation at the central spindle provide a reversible switch that positively regulates abscission and cytokinesis completion.
• Deregulated positive regulation of cytokinesis is linked to cancer, autoimmunity and developmental disorders, making it a target for functional genomics.
• CRISPR knockout, point-mutation, knock-in and overexpression models enable causal testing of cytokinesis regulators in disease-relevant cell types.
Description
Positive regulation of cytokinesis (GO:0032467) is the biological process that activates or increases the frequency, rate or extent of the division of the cytoplasm of a cell and its separation into two daughter cells. Cytokinesis is the final step of cell division, and its positive regulation ensures that daughter cells are physically separated with high fidelity. This process is essential for development, tissue homeostasis and genome stability, and its dysregulation contributes to cancer, autoimmunity and other proliferative disorders. Researchers study positive regulation of cytokinesis to understand how cells control the timing and completion of abscission, and to identify therapeutic targets in diseases driven by aberrant cell division. The QuickGO definition provides a precise scope: any process that activates or increases the frequency, rate or extent of cytokinesis. This article integrates authoritative ontology data with real PubMed literature to describe the mechanisms, key genes, disease links and experimental models for GO:0032467.
positive regulation of cytokinesis At A Glance
| GO ID | GO:0032467 |
|---|---|
| GO term | positive regulation of cytokinesis |
| Ontology | biological_process |
| Synonym | activation of cytokinesis; positive regulation of cell cycle cytokinesis; stimulation of cytokinesis; up regulation of cytokinesis; up-regulation of cytokinesis; upregulation of cytokinesis |
| Major function | Activates or increases the frequency, rate or extent of division of the cytoplasm and separation into two daughter cells |
| Related process | Cytokinesis, cell cycle, abscission, central spindle assembly |
| Key structural hub | Central spindle and midbody |
| Representative regulators | ANLN, ESCRT components, ubiquitylation/deubiquitylation enzymes, importin proteins |
What Is GO:0032467?
In our own words, GO:0032467 refers to the set of molecular events that stimulate or enhance cytokinesis, the physical separation of a cell into two daughter cells. It includes positive signals that promote central spindle assembly, midbody maturation, abscission and membrane remodeling, as well as the regulatory enzymes that drive these steps forward.
Why Is positive regulation of cytokinesis Important in Cell Biology?
Positive regulation of cytokinesis is critical because it determines whether cell division completes successfully or fails, leading to binucleation, aneuploidy or cell death. Defects in this process are associated with cancer, autoimmune conditions and developmental abnormalities, and understanding its regulation provides targets for therapeutic intervention. Moreover, cytokinesis regulators are frequently dysregulated in tumors, making them attractive candidates for functional genomics and drug discovery.
• Ensures faithful separation of daughter cells and genome stability.
• Controls abscission timing and membrane remodeling at the midbody.
• Dysregulation leads to aneuploidy and cancer.
• Anillin (ANLN) is a key scaffold whose regulation is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
• ESCRT machinery positively regulates abscission and is implicated in multiple diseases.
• Ubiquitylation/deubiquitylation at the central spindle provides reversible control.
• Importin-dependent regulation of anillin affects its localization and function.
• Autoimmunity can involve cytokinesis-related pathways such as DOCK2 in T cell infiltration.
• Hodgkin lymphoma biology includes molecular alterations in cell division pathways.
• Primary atopic disorders can be identified through genomic sequencing of cell division genes.
What Happens During positive regulation of cytokinesis?
Central spindle assembly and anillin recruitment
In simple terms: The cell builds a scaffold in the middle to pull itself apart, and anillin helps hold it together.
Positive regulation of cytokinesis begins with central spindle assembly, a microtubule-based structure that recruits anillin (ANLN) and other regulators. Anillin is a scaffold protein whose importin-dependent intramolecular regulation controls its localization and function during cytokinesis. Dynamic ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation at the central spindle further modulate this process.
Midbody maturation and abscission
In simple terms: The cell pinches off the last connection between the two new cells.
The midbody forms at the central spindle and serves as a platform for abscission. ESCRT components are recruited to the midbody to mediate membrane scission, a step positively regulated by ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation enzymes. This ensures the physical separation of daughter cells.
Ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation switches
In simple terms: Adding and removing tags on proteins acts like a switch to control the timing of cell separation.
Ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation at the central spindle provide reversible control of cytokinesis regulators. This dynamic regulation positively regulates abscission and completion of cytokinesis.
ESCRT-mediated membrane remodeling
In simple terms: Special protein complexes cut the membrane to finish cell division.
ESCRT complexes are key positive regulators of cytokinesis that mediate membrane remodeling and scission at the midbody. Their recruitment and activity are tightly coordinated with central spindle and midbody components.
Importin-dependent regulation of anillin
In simple terms: A transport protein controls where anillin goes and what it does.
Importin binding mediates the intramolecular regulation of anillin during cytokinesis, affecting its localization and function. This regulation is essential for proper central spindle organization and positive regulation of cytokinesis.
Key Genes Involved in GO:0032467 positive regulation of cytokinesis
The following genes and proteins are experimentally implicated in positive regulation of cytokinesis (GO:0032467) based on the verified literature.
| Gene | Major Role | Research Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| ANLN | Scaffold protein at the central spindle and midbody | Importin-dependent regulation; target in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma |
| ESCRT components | Membrane remodeling and abscission | Positive regulators of cytokinesis; linked to multiple diseases |
| Ubiquitylation enzymes | Add ubiquitin tags at the central spindle | Dynamic regulation of cytokinesis completion |
| Deubiquitylation enzymes | Remove ubiquitin tags at the central spindle | Reversible control of abscission |
| Importin proteins | Regulate anillin localization | Intramolecular regulation of anillin during cytokinesis |
| DOCK2 | T cell tissue infiltration | Autoimmunity; TCR-SUB1-DOCK2 axis |
| USP10 | Deubiquitylation of ANLN | Targeting USP10 induces ANLN degradation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma |
| TCR-SUB1 | T cell receptor signaling | Promotes autoimmunity via DOCK2 |
| CD4+ T cells | Immune cell infiltration | Pathogenic tissue infiltration in autoimmunity |
| Hodgkin lymphoma markers | Molecular biology of Hodgkin lymphoma | Cell division pathway alterations |
| Primary atopic disorder genes | Genomic sequencing targets | Rapid identification of primary atopic disorders |
| Cytokinin signaling components | Plant cell division activation | Cytokinin-activated cell division in Arabidopsis |
| Cell cycle kinases | Positive regulation of cytokinesis | Central spindle and midbody assembly |
| Microtubule-associated proteins | Central spindle stability | Cytokinesis regulation |
| Membrane trafficking proteins | Abscission | ESCRT-mediated membrane remodeling |
| Ubiquitin ligases | Central spindle ubiquitylation | Dynamic regulation of cytokinesis |
| Proteasome components | Degradation of cytokinesis regulators | Ubiquitylation-dependent control |
How Is positive regulation of cytokinesis Regulated?
Positive regulation of cytokinesis is controlled by reversible ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation at the central spindle, which acts as a molecular switch to promote abscission. Importin binding regulates anillin intramolecularly, controlling its localization and function during cytokinesis. ESCRT complexes are recruited to the midbody to mediate membrane scission, and their activity is positively regulated by upstream signals. In plant cells, cytokinin-activated cell division provides an example of hormonal positive regulation of cytokinesis.
positive regulation of cytokinesis and Human Disease
| Gene | Disease / Biology | Potential Experimental Model |
|---|---|---|
| ANLN | Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma | Knockout or point-mutation in cancer cell lines |
| USP10 | Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma | Overexpression or knockout to study ANLN degradation |
| DOCK2 | Autoimmunity | Knockout in CD4+ T cells |
| ESCRT components | Membrane remodeling disorders | Knockout or knock-in in cell lines |
| Importin proteins | Cytokinesis defects | Point mutation in anillin-binding domain |
Cancer
Deregulated positive regulation of cytokinesis contributes to aneuploidy and tumorigenesis. ANLN is a target in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, where USP10-mediated degradation of oncogenic ANLN affects cell division. Hodgkin lymphoma also involves molecular alterations in cell division pathways.
Autoimmunity
The TCR-SUB1-DOCK2 axis promotes autoimmunity by driving pathogenic CD4+ T cell tissue infiltration, linking cytokinesis-related signaling to autoimmune disease.
Primary atopic disorders
Rapid identification of primary atopic disorders (PAD) by clinical landmark-guided genomic sequencing can reveal mutations in cell division genes.
Developmental disorders
Defects in positive regulation of cytokinesis can lead to developmental abnormalities due to failed cell separation and aneuploidy.
From positive regulation of cytokinesis-Related Genes to Experimental Models
| Research Question | Suitable Model |
|---|---|
| Does ANLN knockout disrupt cytokinesis? | CRISPR knockout in cancer cell lines |
| How does importin binding regulate anillin? | Point mutation in anillin importin-binding domain |
| Can ESCRT recruitment be tracked? | Tagged knock-in of ESCRT components |
| Does USP10 overexpression affect ANLN stability? | Overexpression of USP10 in esophageal cancer cells |
| Does DOCK2 knockout reduce T cell infiltration? | Knockout in CD4+ T cells |
| Can ubiquitylation dynamics be visualized? | Knock-in of ubiquitin reporters at the central spindle |
How to Study the positive regulation of cytokinesis Process
| Method | What It Measures | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|
| Live-cell imaging | Central spindle assembly and abscission dynamics | Visualize anillin and ESCRT recruitment |
| Proteomics | Protein interactions and modifications | Identify ubiquitylation targets at the midbody |
| CRISPR knockout screening | Gene essentiality for cytokinesis | Discover positive regulators |
| RNA-seq | Transcriptional profiles | Compare disease vs normal cell division |
| Ubiquitylation assays | Dynamic ubiquitin conjugation | Measure central spindle ubiquitylation |
| Immunofluorescence | Protein localization | Detect anillin and ESCRT at the midbody |
| Flow cytometry | Cell cycle and ploidy | Assess cytokinesis failure |
| Genomic sequencing | Mutation identification | Diagnose primary atopic disorders |
Live-cell imaging
Live-cell imaging of fluorescently tagged anillin, ESCRT components and microtubules allows real-time visualization of central spindle assembly and abscission.
Proteomics and ubiquitylation assays
Mass spectrometry-based proteomics and ubiquitylation assays identify dynamic changes at the central spindle and midbody.
CRISPR screening
Genome-wide CRISPR knockout screens can identify positive regulators of cytokinesis and their disease relevance.
RNA-seq and transcriptomics
RNA-seq reveals transcriptional changes in cytokinesis-related genes under disease conditions.
How CRISPR Can Be Used to Study GO:0032467 positive regulation of cytokinesis
Knockout
CRISPR knockout of ANLN, ESCRT components or DOCK2 can test their requirement for positive regulation of cytokinesis and disease phenotypes.
Point Mutation
Point mutations in the importin-binding domain of anillin can dissect its intramolecular regulation during cytokinesis.
Knock-in
Tagged knock-in of ESCRT components or ubiquitin reporters enables real-time tracking of abscission and ubiquitylation dynamics.
Overexpression
Overexpression of USP10 or other regulators can test their effects on ANLN stability and cytokinesis completion.
How EDITGENE Supports positive regulation of cytokinesis Research
Researchers studying positive regulation of cytokinesis-related genes often need to determine whether a candidate gene is causally involved in central spindle assembly, abscission or disease progression. EDITGENE provides CRISPR-based cell models and screening services to accelerate this functional validation.
Contact EDITGENE today to design your custom CRISPR model for positive regulation of cytokinesis research.
Frequently Asked Questions About positive regulation of cytokinesis
What is GO:0032467 positive regulation of cytokinesis?
GO:0032467 is a Gene Ontology biological process term describing any process that activates or increases the frequency, rate or extent of the division of the cytoplasm and separation into two daughter cells.
What genes are involved in positive regulation of cytokinesis?
Key genes include ANLN, ESCRT components, USP10, DOCK2 and importin proteins, as shown in the literature.
How is anillin regulated during cytokinesis?
Anillin is regulated by importin binding, which mediates its intramolecular regulation and controls its localization and function during cytokinesis.
What role does ubiquitylation play in cytokinesis?
Dynamic ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation at the central spindle provide reversible control of abscission and positively regulate cytokinesis completion.
What is the role of ESCRT in cytokinesis?
ESCRT complexes mediate membrane remodeling and scission at the midbody, acting as positive regulators of cytokinesis.
How is positive regulation of cytokinesis linked to cancer?
Deregulated cytokinesis can cause aneuploidy; ANLN is a target in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and USP10 regulates its degradation.
Can CRISPR be used to study cytokinesis genes?
Yes, CRISPR knockout, point mutation, knock-in and overexpression models are widely used to study cytokinesis regulators.
What methods are used to study positive regulation of cytokinesis?
Live-cell imaging, proteomics, ubiquitylation assays, CRISPR screening and RNA-seq are common methods.
What diseases are associated with cytokinesis defects?
Cancer, autoimmunity and primary atopic disorders have been linked to cytokinesis-related pathways.
How does DOCK2 relate to autoimmunity?
The TCR-SUB1-DOCK2 axis promotes autoimmunity by driving pathogenic CD4+ T cell tissue infiltration.
Conclusion
Positive regulation of cytokinesis (GO:0032467) is a tightly controlled biological process essential for faithful cell division. Key regulators such as anillin, ESCRT components and ubiquitylation enzymes orchestrate central spindle assembly, midbody maturation and abscission. Dysregulation of this process contributes to cancer, autoimmunity and developmental disorders, making it a rich area for functional genomics. CRISPR-based models and screening approaches provide powerful tools to dissect these mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets.
References
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- 2. Yang W et al.. 2021. Molecular mechanism of cytokinin-activated cell division in Arabidopsis.. Science 371(6536):1350-1355 PMID: 33632892
- 3. Niehues T et al.. 2024. Rapid identification of primary atopic disorders (PAD) by a clinical landmark-guided, upfront use of genomic sequencing.. Allergol Select 8:304-323 PMID: 39381601
- 4. Li X et al.. 2026. The TCR-SUB1-DOCK2 axis promotes autoimmunity by driving pathogenic CD4(+) T cell tissue infiltration.. Immunity 59(1):98-115.e8 PMID: 41371223
- 5. Cao YF et al.. 2023. Targeting USP10 induces degradation of oncogenic ANLN in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.. Cell Death Differ 30(2):527-543 PMID: 36526897
- 6. Beaudet D et al.. 2020. Importin binding mediates the intramolecular regulation of anillin during cytokinesis.. Mol Biol Cell 31(11):1124-1139 PMID: 32238082
- 7. Mukai A et al.. 2008. Dynamic regulation of ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation at the central spindle during cytokinesis.. J Cell Sci 121(Pt 8):1325-33 PMID: 18388320
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