Protein kinase C epsilon in cell division: Control of abscission

Cell division requires the separation and partitioning of sister chromatids to opposite ends of the cell before an actomyosin ring contracts the membrane in between during cytokinesis. The final irreversible step occurs during abscission when the ring breaks down and the membrane is sealed in its place. The physical mechanics of contraction depend on RhoA which is stimulated by a centralspindlin complex around the cell equator. However exactly how these events are reversed to allow actomyosin breakdown and abscission were not well understood. Here we will discuss new findings which implicate Protein Kinase C epsilon (PKCε) as a regulator of RhoA signalling required for abscission.