Endosomes (green) are recycled in HeLa cells during anaphase (left) and cytokinesis (right).
KIRCHHAUSEN/NAS
To begin dividing, mitotic cells round up into tight spheres, thus decreasing their surface area. But where does the extra membrane go, and where does it come from when it's time to expand again? Because the Golgi apparatus is disabled until the end of division, researchers assumed that cell trafficking—including endocytosis—grinds to a halt. EM studies suggested instead that accordion-like folds at the cell surface took up the membrane slack.
In their new report, the researchers measured membrane decrease and recovery during mitosis using live-cell fluorescence imaging. They found that endocytosis is not shut off during division. Clathrin-coated vesicles formed at...
