The large GTPase dynamin associates with the spindle midzone and is required for cytokinesis

Cytokinesis involves the concerted efforts of the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons as well as vesicle trafficking and membrane remodeling to form the cleavage furrow and complete daughter cell separation (for reviews, see [1-6]). The exact mechanisms that support membrane remodeling during cytokinesis remain largely undefined. In this study, we report that the large GTPase dynamin, a protein involved in membrane tubulation and vesiculation [7, 8], is essential for successful cytokinesis. Using biochemical and morphological methods, we demonstrate that dynamin localizes to the spindle midzone and the subsequent intercellular bridge in mammalian cells and is also enriched in spindle midbody extracts. In Caenorhabditis elegans, dynamin localized to newly formed cleavage furrow membranes and accumulated at the midbody of dividing embryos in a manner similar to dynamin localization in mammalian cells. Further, dynamin function appears necessary for cytokinesis, as C. elegans embryos from a dyn-1 ts strain [9], as well as dynamin RNAi-treated embryos, showed a marked defect in the late stages of cytokinesis. These findings indicate that, during mitosis, conventional dynamin is recruited to the spindle midzone and the subsequent intercellular bridge, where it plays an essential role in the final separation of dividing cells.