What determines cell size?

AbstractFirst paragraph (this article has no abstract) For well over 100 years, cell biologists have been wondering what determines the size of cells. In modern times, we know all of the molecules that control the cell cycle and cell division, but we still do not understand how cell size is determined. To check whether modern cell biology has made any inroads on this age-old question, BMC Biology asked several heavyweights in the field to tell us how they think cell size is controlled, drawing on a range of different cell types. The essays in this collection address two related questions - why does cell size matter, and how do cells control it

An epigenetic regulator emerges as microtubule minus-end binding and stabilizing factor in mitosis

The evolutionary conserved NSL complex is a prominent epigenetic regulator controlling expression of thousands of genes. Here we uncover a novel function of the NSL complex members in mitosis. As the cell enters mitosis, KANSL1 and KANSL3 undergo a marked relocalisation from the chromatin to the mitotic spindle. By stabilizing microtubule minus ends in a RanGTP-dependent manner, they are essential for spindle assembly and chromosome segregation. Moreover, we identify KANSL3 as a microtubule minus-end-binding protein, revealing a new class of mitosis-specific microtubule minus-end regulators. By adopting distinct functions in interphase and mitosis, KANSL proteins provide a link to coordinate the tasks of faithful expression and inheritance of the genome during different phases of the cell cycle