Components of the cell division machinery typically function at varying cell cycle stages and intracellular locations. To dissect cellular mechanisms during the rapid division process, small-molecule probes act as complementary approaches to genetic manipulations, with advantages of temporal and in some cases spatial control and applicability to multiple model systems. This Review focuses on recent advances in chemical probes and applications to address select questions in cell division. We discuss uses of both enzyme inhibitors and chemical inducers of dimerization, as well as emerging techniques to promote future investigations. Overall, these concepts may open new research directions for applying chemical probes to advance cell biology.

细胞分裂机制的组件通常在不同的细胞周期阶段和细胞内位置发挥作用。为了在快速分裂过程中剖析细胞机制，小分子探针作为遗传操作的补充方法，具有时间控制和在某些情况下空间控制和适用于多个模型系统的优势。本综述侧重于化学探针和应用的最新进展，以解决细胞分裂中的特定问题。我们讨论了酶抑制剂和二聚化化学诱导剂的用途，以及促进未来研究的新兴技术。总体而言，这些概念可能会为应用化学探针推进细胞生物学开辟新的研究方向。