Cell division is a fundamental biological process that ensures the segregation of genetic material and also involves dramatic changes in the cellular geometry, leading to cytokinesis: the cleavage of a cell giving rise to two daughter cells. In metazoans, cytokinesis is orchestrated by flows resulting from active stress gradients in the actomyosin cortex -- a thin film comprising myosin motors, actin filaments, and other associated macromolecules. In this thesis, we develop a theory for the geometrodynamics of the cortex treated as an active surface. At high activity, we observe self-organised dynamics of the cytokinetic furrow and concomitant myosin patterns, which agree well with experimental measurements during the first division in the C. elegans embryo. Through RNAi perturbations, we further test our prediction that higher contractility generically leads to asymmetric ingression. This work suggests that active, self-organised dynamics could underlie the widely observed kinematic features and asymmetries in cytokinesis.
Zoom link: https://icts-res-in.zoom.us/j/93109744656?pwd=u4lHyb0sNqY2s0Dgm04RuHCO7OfTr7.1
Meeting ID: 931 0974 4656
Passcode: 468896