CDK control of membrane-bound organelle homeostasis

Abstract

In eukaryotes, the copy number and size of any given organelle compartment remain constant in dividing cells, underlying a tight coordination between cell division and organelle homeostasis. However, in most cases the mechanisms for this coordination remain mysterious. Here we outline a few cases where the cell cycle machinery directly impacts on organelle homeostasis, with emphasis on the control of vacuolar (lysosomal) copy number and size in budding yeast. We also discuss aspects of organelle biology that can profoundly affect certain cell cycle parameters, such as cell size. ©2006 Landes Bioscience.