Infographic: Why Not All Cell Divisions Are Equal

Phosphorylation of a protein called Sara found on the surface of endosomes appears to be a key regulator of asymmetric splitting in fruit flies.

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THE SCIENTIST STAFFDuring cell division in fruit flies’ sensory organ precursor cells, microtubules draw endosomes with the Sara protein on their surface to the central spindle. There, Sara is phosphorylated, causing the endosomes to detach from the spindle and travel to one side of the mother cell, with most of them moving into the daughter cell known as pIIa, where microtubule disassembly is greater. That cell divides again to form the outer shaft and socket of a hair on the fly’s back, while its sibling, pIIb, gives rise to the hair’s inner sheath and neuron. Without Sara, hair formation is compromised.

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Meet the Author

  • Shawna Williams

    Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate and science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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