A unified view of spatio-temporal control of mitotic entry: Polo kinase as the key

The Polo kinase is an essential regulator of cell division. Its ability to regulate multiple events at distinct subcellular locations and times during mitosis is remarkable. In the last few years, a much clearer mechanistic understanding of the functions and regulation of Polo in cell division has emerged. In this regard, the importance of coupling changes in activity with changes in localization is striking, both for Polo itself and for its upstream regulators. This review brings together several new pieces of the puzzle that are gradually revealing how Polo is regulated, in space and time, to enable its functions in the early stages of mitosis in animal cells. As a result, a unified view of how mitotic entry is spatio-temporally regulated is emerging.