Classic “broken cell” techniques and newer live cell methods for cell cycle assessment
Year: 2013
Type: review
Abstract: Many common, important diseases are either caused or exacerbated by hyperactivation (e.g., cancer) or inactivation (e.g., heart failure) of the cell division cycle. A better understanding of the cell cycle is critical for interpreting numerous types of physiological changes in cells. Moreover, new insights into how to control it will facilitate new therapeutics for a variety of diseases and new avenues in regenerative medicine. The progression of cells through the four main phases of their division cycle [G(0)/G(1), S (DNA synthesis), G(2), and M (mitosis)] is a highly conserved process orchestrated by several pathways (e.g., transcription, phosphorylation, nuclear import/export, and protein ubiquitination) that coordinate a core cell cycle pathway. This core pathway can also receive inputs that are cell type and cell niche dependent. "Broken cell" methods (e.g., use of labeled nucleotide analogs) to assess for cell cycle activity have revealed important insights regarding the cell cycle but lack the ability to assess living cells in real time (longitudinal studies) and with single-cell resolution. Moreover, such methods often require cell synchronization, which can perturb the pathway under study. Live cell cycle sensors can be used at single-cell resolution in living cells, intact tissue, and whole animals. Use of these more recently available sensors has the potential to reveal physiologically relevant insights regarding the normal and perturbed cell division cycle.
Institution: University of California San Diego
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Molecular mechanisms of hypoxia tolerance and susceptibility, G1641169586, iDASH: Integrating Data for Analysis, Anonymization, and Sharing, San Diego Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Determining excitatory connectivity as a function of clonal lineage, G410946715, University of California San Diego Neuroscience Microscopy Imaging Core, Mentoring Young Minds to Increase Diversity in the Biomedical Research
OpenAlex ID: W2103642023