Growth and division-not a one-way road

Maintaining cell size homeostasis and regulating cell size in response to changing conditions is a fundamental property of organisms. Here we examine the recent advances in our understanding of the interplay between accumulation of mass (growth) and the progression through the cell cycle (proliferation), the coordination of which determines the size of cells. It is well established that growth affects cell division (reviewed in Jorgensen and Tyers, 2004 [1]). This review will focus on the reverse, less well-defined relationship-how cell cycle progression affects growth. We will summarize findings that indicate that growth is not constant during the cell cycle and discuss the surprising possibility that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) inhibit growth.