.用酵母双杂交系统筛选CENP-E相互作用蛋白

纺锤体检验点(spindle checkpoint)是一个重要的细胞分裂生化调节通路, 可监督染色体正确分离和传代．着丝粒相关蛋白E (centromere-associated protein E, CENP-E)是一个分子量为312 kD的微管马达驱动蛋白,可以衔接纺锤体微管与动点并参与纺锤体检验点调控．为研究CENP-E的作用机理,以其动点结合区域为诱饵蛋白,用酵母双杂交技术从人HeLa细胞 cDNA 文库中筛选出了Nuf2蛋白．体外的pull-down实验和体内的免疫共沉淀实验表明, Nuf2蛋白通过其卷曲螺旋(coiled-coil) 功能域特异结合CENP-E的 C 末端区域,间接免疫荧光显示Nuf2与CENP-E共定位于细胞有丝分裂期染色体的动点．由此推论, CENP-E 通过Nuf2的直接作用参与构筑动点-微管界面,进而参与细胞有丝分裂纺锤体检验点信号转导通路,为染色体正确分离发挥调控作用．     

组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂－FK228对人非小细胞肺癌A549细胞纺锤体检查点的影响

HDACi—FK228是一种新型抗肿瘤药物,但其作用机制研究的尚未十分明确,为进一步阐明FK228杀伤肿瘤细胞的机制,该文应用流式细胞术检测FK228对非小细胞肺癌A549细胞周期的影响：应用免疫荧光染色和免疫印迹检测FK228对检查点蛋白Bub1及BubR1定位和表达的影响;采用纺锤体检查点功能实验检测FK228对细胞检查点功能的影响。结果提示,FK228处理24h后,G2／M期细胞比例由6．35％增至19．91％;FK228能够抑制检查点蛋白Bub1及BubR1着丝粒定位并上调两种蛋白表达：纺锤体检查点功能实验提示对照组经Nocodazole或Taxol处理后G2／M期细胞比例最高分别达35．74％及29．24％,而FK228处理组经上述两种药物处理后各时间点G2／M期细胞所占比例皆明显减少（最高所占比例分别仅为7．13％及6．03％）,失去了随时相点的动态变化,提示FK228抑制了A549细胞纺锤体检查点在监测张力和黏附上的功能。该研究证实FK228能够通过影响纺锤体检查点蛋白着丝粒定位以及抑制纺锤体检查点的功能,进而干涉肿瘤细胞有丝分裂过程,有助于阐明HDACi杀伤肿瘤细胞的新机制。     

BubR1与恶性肿瘤相关性的研究进展

BubR1基因是酵母菌有丝分裂检查点基因家族Mad3的同源基因,其编码的蛋白质是纺锤体检测点的主要成分,能够通过抑制促进有丝分裂中期转向后期的泛素连接酶-后期促进复合体(APC)的活性起到维持有丝分裂正常进行的作用。BubR1除具有保证有丝分裂顺利进行的功能外,在多种恶性肿瘤中(如肝癌、胃癌、膀胱癌等)呈高表达。BubR1可能通过促进细胞增殖、抑制细胞凋亡及诱导染色体不稳定性参与恶性肿瘤的发生发展。     

有丝分裂激酶Aurora B的研究进展

真核生物细胞通过有丝分裂将遗传物质均等地分配到两个子细胞中,从而维持基因组的稳定性。有丝分裂的每一环节都需要精准而细致的调控,这依赖于一系列调节机制,尤其需要多个相关激酶的共同协调。Aurora B是一个关键的有丝分裂调控激酶,伴随有丝分裂的进行,其先后在染色体臂、内着丝粒、中央纺锤体、中体上动态分布。与其高度时空动态性相一致的是,Aurora B在有丝分裂的多个环节,如姐妹染色体粘连、动粒微管连接、纺锤体检验点和胞质分裂过程中都发挥着一系列重要功能。本文将概述近年来Aurora B激酶功能与调控方面的研究进展。     

Rho小G蛋白介导的细胞周期调控

Rho小G蛋白作为一个信号分子家族具有多样化的功能, 可以调节细胞骨架重排 、细胞迁移、细胞极性、基因表达、细胞周期调控等. Rho小G蛋白家族对细胞周期 调控的研究主要集中在其对于有丝分裂期细胞的调节作用,包括调节有丝分裂期前 期细胞趋圆化、后期染色体排列及收缩环的收缩作用.近期的研究显示,Rho小G蛋白及其效应分子对于细胞周期G1、S、G2期的调控主要是通过影响细胞周期的正调控因子细胞周期蛋白D1 (cyclin D1) 和负调控因子细胞周期蛋白依赖型激酶相互作用蛋白1及细胞周期蛋白依赖型激酶抑制蛋白27 (p21cip1/p27kip1) 进行的.本文总结了Rho小G蛋白及其效应分子在细胞周期调控,尤其是对G1/S期调控的研究进展,并简要阐述了Rho小G蛋白介导的细胞周期调控异常与癌症发生的关系.     

靶向微管抗肿瘤药物研究进展

微管由微管蛋白组成,在细胞分裂、细胞内物质运输、信号传递、维持细胞形态等过程中起着重要作用.一些干扰微管功能的化合物可使细胞停滞在有丝分裂期而抑制细胞增殖.相对于正常细胞,肿瘤细胞有丝分裂异常频繁,以微管作为抗肿瘤的靶点已成为研究热点.作用于微管的微管蛋白抑制剂通过抑制微管蛋白的聚合促进微管解聚或者抑制微管解聚促进微管蛋白聚合来破坏微管动态平衡、干扰肿瘤细胞纺锤体形成、阻断细胞分裂、抑制肿瘤增殖,现就微管蛋白抑制剂的研究进展作一综述.     

高等哺乳动物LEM结构域蛋白家族的研究进展

在高等动物细胞开放式有丝分裂过程中,细胞核膜会发生高度有序的周期性去组装和装配的动态变化。近年的研究结果表明是LEM家族蛋白成员通过与BAF因子相互作用介导了内核膜、核纤层蛋白以及染色体之间的相互作用。LEM蛋白、核纤层蛋白以及BAF因子直接相互作用形成的三元复合体在结构与功能上是相互依赖的,在此结构与功能上组成的网络体系是形成细胞核的一些基本生物学过程的重要条件。该复合体在调控有丝分裂M期后期和末期染色体的正常分离、有丝分裂后核膜的重组装,细胞分裂间期细胞核及核膜形态维持,调控DNA复制和DNA损伤修复,调节基因表达和信号通路以及逆转录病毒感染等方面发挥着重要的生物学功能。并且LEM蛋白相关基因的异常对核纤层疾病和肿瘤的发生发展具有重要的影响。文章主要针对LEM蛋白家族成员的结构以及功能研究进展进行了详细的综述。     

Survivin在细胞分裂中的作用

Survivin是凋亡蛋白抑制因子家族的一个新成员,它主要在细胞周期G2/M期表达,并有两种不同的亚细胞定位。Survivin与有丝分裂细胞周期的启动有关,并在有丝分裂中的中心体装配、纺锤体检验点的监控、胞质分裂等过程中发挥作用。Survivin在减数分裂中也有一定的作用,目前研究甚少。Survivin发挥功能的首要前提是通过主要的有丝分裂激酶p34cdc2-cyclinB1使Thr34磷酸化,其表达水平受很多因素的调节。     

纺锤体组装检验点:染色体稳定性的守护神

有丝分裂是真核生物进行细胞增殖的基本方式,其根本目的是准确无误地将复制好的染色体平均分配到两个子细胞中。在细胞有丝分裂过程中,纺锤体组装检验点的作用是产生"等待"信号,直至所有的染色体都排列到赤道板上并建立正确的双极定向,以确保染色体的均等分配。在高等动物中,细胞的纺锤体组装检验点功能行使异常,染色体分离将出现错误,导致子代细胞的染色体数量不稳定,进而诱发肿瘤或导致其他疾病的发生。纺锤体组装检验点一直以来都是细胞生物学家研究的热点,然而其作用的分子基础和调控因素还不是十分明了,该文将对近年来关于纺锤体检验点的研究进展进行总结和探讨。     

磷脂酰乙醇胺结合蛋白的基础和临床研究

磷脂酰乙醇胺结合蛋白 ( phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein, PEBP )是一类高度保守的多功能蛋白质,广泛存在于不同物种中.在同一物种的多种组织和不同类型细胞中均有表达.PEBP在多条信号转导通路中具有重要的调控作用.PEBP通过与Raf-1相互作用抑制MAPK信号通路的活性,因此也被称为Raf-1激酶抑制蛋白(RKIP);同时,PEBP还参与了PKC、G蛋白偶联受体和NF-κB信号通路的调控.在临床医学研究中发现,PEBP作为海马胆碱神经刺激肽(HCNP)的前体蛋白在阿尔采末病(AD)的形成过程中发挥重要作用.由于PEBP可以抑制肿瘤转移和促进肿瘤细胞凋亡,因此也被认为是一种肿瘤转移的抑制基因.新近研究表明,PEBP参与细胞周期的纺锤体检查点的调控,PEBP的缺失可导致染色体异常.在直肠结肠癌,PEBP基因启动子区的高甲基化可导致其不表达,这可能是癌症转移的分子基础.     

Xenopus Shugoshin 2 regulates the spindle assembly pathway mediated by the chromosomal passenger complex

Shugoshins (Sgo) are conserved proteins that act as protectors of centromeric cohesion and as sensors of tension for the machinery that eliminates improper kinetochore-microtubule attachments. Most vertebrates contain two Sgo proteins, but their specific functions are not always clear. Xenopus laevis Sgo1, XSgo1, protects centromeric cohesin from the prophase dissociation pathway. Here, we report the identification of XSgo2 and show that it does not regulate cohesion. Instead, we find that it participates in bipolar spindle assembly. Both Sgo proteins interact physically with the Chromosomal Passenger Complex (CPC) containing Aurora B, a key regulator of mitosis, but the functional consequences of such interaction are distinct. XSgo1 is required for proper localization of the CPC while XSgo2 positively contributes to its activation and the subsequent phosphorylation of at least one key substrate for bipolar spindle assembly, the microtubule depolymerizing kinesin MCAK (Mitotic Centromere-Associated Kinesin). Thus, the two Xenopus Sgo proteins have non-overlapping functions in chromosome segregation. Our results further suggest that this functional specificity could rely on the association of XSgo1 and XSgo2 with different regulatory subunits of the PP2A complex.     

Identification of a novel chromosomal passenger complex and its unique localization during cytokinesis in Trypanosoma brucei

Aurora B kinase is a key component of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), which regulates chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. An ortholog of Aurora B was characterized in Trypanosoma brucei (TbAUK1), but other conserved components of the complex have not been found. Here we identified four novel TbAUK1 associated proteins by tandem affinity purification and mass spectrometry. Among these four proteins, TbKIN-A and TbKIN-B are novel kinesin homologs, whereas TbCPC1 and TbCPC2 are hypothetical proteins without any sequence similarity to those known CPC components from yeasts and metazoans. RNAi-mediated silencing of each of the four genes led to loss of spindle assembly, chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. TbKIN-A localizes to the mitotic spindle and TbKIN-B to the spindle midzone during mitosis, whereas TbCPC1, TbCPC2 and TbAUK1 display the dynamic localization pattern of a CPC. After mitosis, the CPC disappears from the central spindle and re-localizes at a dorsal mid-point of the mother cell, where the anterior tip of the daughter cell is tethered, to start cell division toward the posterior end, indicating a most unusual CPC-initiated cytokinesis in a eukaryote.     

Novel functions of endocytic player clathrin in mitosis

Clathrin has been widely recognized as a pivotal player in endocytosis, in which several adaptors and accessory proteins are involved. Recent studies suggested that clathrin is also essential for cell division. Here this review mainly focuses on the clathrin-dependent mechanisms involved in spindle assembly and chromosome alignment. In mitosis, clathrin forms a complex with phosphorylated TACC3 to ensure spindle stability and proper chromosome alignment. The clathrin-regulated mechanism in mitosis requires the crosstalk among clathrin, spindle assembly factors (SAFs), Ran-GTP and mitotic kinases. Meanwhile, a coordinated mechanism is required for role transitions of clathrin during endocytosis and mitosis. Taken together, the findings of the multiple functions of clathrin besides endocytosis have expanded our understanding of the basic cellular activities.     

The Ndc80 complex: hub of kinetochore activity

Kinetochores are protein scaffolds coordinating the process of chromosome segregation in mitosis. Kinetochore components are organized in functionally and topologically distinct domains that are designed to connect the sister chromatids to the mitotic spindle. The inner kinetochore proteins are in direct contact with the centromeric DNA, whilst the outer kinetochore proteins are responsible for binding to spindle microtubules. The conserved Ndc80 complex is implicated in several essential outer kinetochore functions, including microtubule binding and control of a safety device known as the spindle assembly checkpoint. Here, we describe how current work is contributing to unravel the complex endeavors of this essential kinetochore complex.     

The Cdc48/p97-Ufd1-Npl4 Complex: Its Potential Role in Coordinating Cellular Morphogenesis During the M-G1 Transition

The AAA ATPase Cdc48/p97 together with its adaptors, Ufd1-Npl4, regulate membrane-related functions and mitotic spindle disassembly by directly binding to membrane-associated proteins or spindle assembly factors, modulating their interactions with membranes or spindles, respectively. Here, we discuss the possibility that the Cdc48/p97-Ufd1-Npl4 complex has a more general role in mediating morphological transitions as the cell exits mitosis and enters G1.     

Selective Disruption of Aurora C Kinase Reveals Distinct Functions from Aurora B Kinase during Meiosis in Mouse Oocytes

Aurora B kinase (AURKB) is the catalytic subunit of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), an essential regulator of chromosome segregation. In mitosis, the CPC is required to regulate kinetochore microtubule (K-MT) attachments, the spindle assembly checkpoint, and cytokinesis. Germ cells express an AURKB homolog, AURKC, which can also function in the CPC. Separation of AURKB and AURKC function during meiosis in oocytes by conventional approaches has not been successful. Therefore, the meiotic function of AURKC is still not fully understood. Here, we describe an ATP-binding-pocket-AURKC mutant, that when expressed in mouse oocytes specifically perturbs AURKC-CPC and not AURKB-CPC function. Using this mutant we show for the first time that AURKC has functions that do not overlap with AURKB. These functions include regulating localized CPC activity and regulating chromosome alignment and K-MT attachments at metaphase of meiosis I (Met I). We find that AURKC-CPC is not the sole CPC complex that regulates the spindle assembly checkpoint in meiosis, and as a result most AURKC-perturbed oocytes arrest at Met I. A small subset of oocytes do proceed through cytokinesis normally, suggesting that AURKC-CPC is not the sole CPC complex during telophase I. But, the resulting eggs are aneuploid, indicating that AURKC is a critical regulator of meiotic chromosome segregation in female gametes. Taken together, these data suggest that mammalian oocytes contain AURKC to efficiently execute meiosis I and ensure high-quality eggs necessary for sexual reproduction.     

The Chromosomal Passenger Complex and a Mitotic Kinesin Interact with the Tousled-Like Kinase in Trypanosomes to Regulate Mitosis and Cytokinesis

Aurora B kinase plays essential roles in mitosis and cytokinesis in eukaryotes. In the procyclic form of Trypanosoma brucei, the Aurora B homolog TbAUK1 regulates mitosis and cytokinesis, phosphorylates the Tousled-like kinase TbTLK1, interacts with two mitotic kinesins TbKIN-A and TbKIN-B and forms a novel chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) with two novel proteins TbCPC1 and TbCPC2. Here we show with time-lapse video microscopy the time course of CPC trans-localization from the spindle midzone in late anaphase to the dorsal side of the cell where the anterior end of daughter cell is tethered, and followed by a glide toward the posterior end to divide the cell, representing a novel mode of cytokinesis in eukaryotes. The three subunits of CPC, TbKIN-B and TbTLK1 interact with one another suggesting a close association among the five proteins. An ablation of TbTLK1 inhibited the subsequent trans-localization of CPC and TbKIN-B, whereas a knockdown of CPC or TbKIN-B disrupted the spindle pole localization of TbTLK1 during mitosis. In the bloodstream form of T. brucei, the five proteins also play essential roles in chromosome segregation and cytokinesis and display subcellular localization patterns similar to that in the procyclic form. The CPC in bloodstream form also undergoes a trans-localization during cytokinesis similar to that in the procyclic form. All together, our results indicate that the five-protein complex CPC-TbTLK1-TbKIN-B plays key roles in regulating chromosome segregation in the early phase of mitosis and that the highly unusual mode of cytokinesis mediated by CPC occurs in both forms of trypanosomes.     

The Cdc48/p97-Ufd1-Npl4 complex: its potential role in coordinating cellular morphogenesis during the M-G1 transition

The AAA ATPase Cdc48/p97 together with its adaptors, Ufd1-Npl4, regulate membrane-related functions and mitotic spindle disassembly by directly binding to membrane-associated proteins or spindle assembly factors, modulating their interactions with membranes or spindles, respectively. Here, we discuss the possibility that the Cdc48/ p97-Ufd1-Npl4 complex has a more general role in mediating morphological transitions as the cell exits mitosis and enters G(1).     

The chromosomal passenger complex controls spindle checkpoint function independent from its role in correcting microtubule kinetochore interactions

The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) is a critical regulator of chromosome segregation during mitosis by correcting nonbipolar microtubule-kinetochore interactions. By severing these interactions, the CPC is thought to create unattached kinetochores that are subsequently sensed by the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) to prevent premature mitotic exit. We now show that spindle checkpoint function of the CPC and its role in eliminating nonbipolar attachments can be uncoupled. Replacing the chromosomal passenger protein INCENP with a mutant allele that lacks its coiled-coil domain results in an overt defect in a SAC-mediated mitotic arrest in response to taxol treatment, indicating that this domain is critical for CPC function in spindle checkpoint control. Surprisingly, this mutant could restore alignment and cytokinesis during unperturbed cell divisions and was capable of resolving syntelic attachments. Also, Aurora-B kinase was localized and activated normally on centromeres in these cells, ruling out a role for the coiled-coil domain in general Aurora-B activation. Thus, mere microtubule destabilization of nonbipolar attachments by the CPC is insufficient to install a checkpoint-dependent mitotic arrest, and additional, microtubule destabilization-independent CPC signaling toward the spindle assembly checkpoint is required for this arrest, potentially through amplification of the unattached kinetochore-derived checkpoint signal.     

The Nup107-160 Nucleoporin Complex Promotes Mitotic Events via Control of the Localization State of the Chromosome Passenger Complex

The human Nup107-160 nucleoporin complex plays a major role in formation of the nuclear pore complex and is localized to kinetochores in mitosis. Here we report that Seh1, a component of the Nup107-160 complex, functions in chromosome alignment and segregation by regulating the centromeric localization of Aurora B and other chromosome passenger complex proteins. Localization of CENP-E is not affected by Seh1 depletion and analysis by electron microscopy showed that microtubule kinetochore attachments are intact. Seh1-depleted cells show impaired Aurora B localization, which results in severe defects in biorientation and organization of the spindle midzone and midbody. Our results indicate that a major function of the Nup107 complex in mitosis is to ensure the proper localization of the CPC at the centromere.