Small-number effects limit chromosome segregation synchrony.
Feedback loops have been described as universal, recurring motifs that regulate major cell cycle transitions. In this issue, Williams et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202602088) show, however, that chromosome segregation synchrony in fission yeast is feedback-independent, and instead, temporal precision of anaphase is dictated by molecular noise arising from small-number stochastic effects.
Boland A