Cell-size-dependent control of organelle sizes during development

Abstract

During development, cells differentiate into diverse cell types with different sizes. The size of intracellular organelles often correlates with the size of the cell, which may be important for cell homeostasis. The nucleus is a well-known example of an organelle whose size correlates with cell size. However, the mechanical basis of the correlation is unknown. The lengths of the mitotic spindle and contractile ring are emerging as model system to investigate the cell-size-dependent control mechanisms of organelle size. Mechanistic models are proposed for the cell-size-dependent control of these organelles. Understanding the cell-size dependency of organelle sizes is expected to impact not only on the morphogenesis of the individual organelle, but also on cell homeostasis, cell cycle progression, and cell differentiation. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.