Triggering p53 after cytokinesis failure

Abstract

Cells that fail to divide during cytokinesis often arrest in the next G1 phase by a mysterious mechanism that depends upon p53. What triggers this arrest is unclear. New studies, including a report in this issue (Uetake and Sluder, 2004) suggest that this arrest does not occur because cells are polyploid, are binucleate, have multiple centrosome, or have failed cytokinesis, making this phenomenon even more puzzling.