Animal cell cytokinesis, or the physical division of one cell into two, is thought to be driven by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring at the division plane. The mechanisms underlying cell ...type-specific differences in cytokinesis remain unknown. Germ cells are totipotent cells that pass genetic information to the next generation. Previously, using
mutant
embryos, we found that the P2 germ precursor cell is protected from cytokinesis failure and can divide with greatly reduced F-actin levels at the cell division plane. Here, we identified two canonical germ fate determinants required for P2-specific cytokinetic protection: PIE-1 and POS-1. Neither has been implicated previously in cytokinesis. These germ fate determinants protect P2 cytokinesis by reducing the accumulation of septin
and anillin
at the division plane, which here act as negative regulators of cytokinesis. These findings may provide insight into the regulation of cytokinesis in other cell types, especially in stem cells with high potency.
