Endoreduplication

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Endoreduplication is the duplication of the genome without mitosis. Endoreduplication is a common process in eukaryotes and results in an increase in the nuclear DNA content, permitting amplification of the genome of specialized cells. Moreover, the increase in the ploidy level correlates with an increase in nuclear volume and cell size, suggesting that elevated nuclear DNA content is required to maintain larger cells. In animals, endoreduplication is most frequent in Appendicularia, where endoreduplicated epithelial cells are used to produce feeding structures, and in arthropods, where the highest frequency of endopolyploidy occurs in the Malpighian tubules and salivary glands of various dipters.

In mammals, endopolyploidy is evident in the trophoblast, decidua, myocardial cells and megakaryocytes. In contrast, endoreduplication is widespread in plants, particularly in angiosperms, and may occur in any cell types except gametic, meristematic and guard cells. The constant tissue-specific pattern of endopolyploidy in different organs suggest that endoreduplication cycles in plants constitute an essential part of the developmental programmes that are necessary for differentiation and for specialized function of given cells and tissues.

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External links

• Cebolla, A., J.M. Vinardell, E. Kiss, B. Olah, F. Roudier, A. Kondorosi and E. Kondorosi (1999) The mitotic inhibitor ccs52 is required for endoreduplication and ploidy-dependent cell enlargement in plants. Embo J. 18, 4476-4484.
• Edgar, BA & Orr-Weaver, TL (2001) Endoreplication cell cycles: more for less. Cell. May 4;105(3):297-306