{
  "abstract": "In animal development, cells exit the cell cycle after a final round of cell division to differentiate into specialized cell types. However, the impact of failed cytokinesis on the fate specification of postmitotic cells, especially neurons, remains poorly understood. We analyzed the Caenorhabditis elegans mutants lacking the midbody-tethered endonuclease LEM-3/ANKLE1, which resolves chromatin bridges during cytokinesis. Using genetic analysis, fluorescence microscopy, and RNA visualization, we found that unresolved DNA bridges lead to the formation of stable intercellular bridges, creating binucleate syncytia between touch receptor neurons and sister cells, which allows thorough cytoplasmic mixing despite independent nuclear transcription. In some cases, the cytoplasmic linkage between sister cells also led to the suppression of neuronal fates and prevention of apoptotic fates. Thus, LEM-3 prevents syncytium formation to ensure proper cellular differentiation.\n\nAnimal cells typically adopt their terminal identities during the final round of cell division, and so failed cytokinesis can strongly influence fate specification, especially in neurons. This study shows that the midbody-tethered endonuclease LEM-3 prevents syncytium formation to ensure proper cellular differentiation in C. elegans.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Siyu Deng"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chaogu Zheng"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2satk248cbzg3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pbio.3004099",
  "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004099",
  "id": "2satk248cbzg3",
  "issns": [
    "1545-7885"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004099",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cell processes/Cell cycle and cell division"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cell processes/Cell cycle and cell division/Cytokinesis"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cell processes/Cell death/Apoptosis"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Neurons"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Chromosome biology/Chromatin"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Developmental biology/Cell differentiation/Neuronal differentiation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Epigenetics/Chromatin"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Gene expression/Chromatin"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Genetics/Phenotypes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Cellular neuroscience/Neurons"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Research assessment/Altmetrics/Article-level metrics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W4416297160",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004099&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-02",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2satk248cbzg3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T12:20:15Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pbio.3004099",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3004099"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "LEM-3/ANKLE1 nuclease prevents the formation of abnormal syncytium to safeguard neuronal differentiation",
  "title_text": "LEM-3/ANKLE1 nuclease prevents the formation of abnormal syncytium to safeguard neuronal differentiation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T12:20:44Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2satk248cbzg3",
  "venue": "PLOS Biology",
  "versions": []
}