Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

A new chromosomal protein essential for mitotic spindle assembly

Nature volume 367, pages 288–291 (1994)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 14 August 1997

Abstract

ASSEMBLY of the mitotic spindle, the machinery responsible for chromosomal segregation, is regulated by Cdc2 kinase1–5 and requires mitotic chromatin5–8. However, the molecular identity of the kinase substrate and chromatin factor is unknown. Here we have cloned a human complementary DNA encoding an evolution-arily conserved chromosomal protein of relative molecular mass 47,000 (Mr 47K) which has three consensus motifs for Cdc2 kinase-mediated phosphorylation9. The protein is phosphorylated only during mitosis and is associated with polypeptides having Mrs of 31K, 67K and 200K. Mitotic arrest is induced by antisense messenger RNA or by affinity-purified autoantibody. In the arrested cells, the chromosomes remain unsegregated and the mitotic spindle is absent. We propose that the chromosomal protein is activated by phosphorylation at the interphase/mitosis transition by Cdc2 kinase, and that the protein, alone or as a complex, is a previously unidentified Cdc2 kinase substrate and chromatin factor necessary for spindle assembly.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Norbury, C. & Nurse, P. A. Rev. Biochem. 61, 441–470 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Murray, A. W. Nature 359, 599–604 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lohka, M. J. & Maller, J. L. J. Cell Biol. 101, 518–532 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Verde, F., Labbe, J-L, Doree, M. & Karsenti, E. Nature 343, 233–238 (1990).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Karsenti, E. Semin. Cell Biol. 2, 251–260 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sawin, K. E. & Mitchinson, T. J. J. Cell Biol. 112, 925–940 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Karsenti, E., Newport, J., Hubble, R. & Kirschner, M. J. Cell Biol. 98, 1730–1745 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Nicklas, R. B. & Gordon, G. W. J. Cell Biol. 100, 1–7 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Shenoy, S. et al. Cell 57, 763–774 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Garcia-Bustos, J., Heitman, J. & Hall, M. N. Biochim. biophys. Acta 1071, 83–101 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Nigg, E. A. Semin. Cell Biol. 2, 261–270 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Peden, K. W. C., Charles, C., Sanders, L. & Tennekoon, G. I. Expl Cell Res. 185, 60–72 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Cicuttini, F. M. et al. Blood 80, 102–112 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Karsenti, E. & Maro, B. Trends biochem. Sci. 11, 460–463 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Picard, A., Harricane, M-C, Labbe, J-C. & Doree, M. Devl Biol. 128, 121–128 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Sanders, W. S. & Hoyt, M. A. Cell 70, 451–458 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hagan, I. & Yanagida, M. Nature 356, 74–76 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Sawin, K. E., LeGuellec, K., Phillippe, M. & Mitchinson, T. J. Nature 359, 540–543 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Joshi, H. C., Palacios, M. J., McNamara, L. & Cleveland, D. W. Nature 356, 80–82 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kirschner, M. & Mitchinson, T. J. Cell 45, 329–342 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bernat, R. L., Borisy, G. G., Rothfield, N. F. & Earnshaw, W. C. J. Cell Biol. 11, 1519–1533 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kooy, J., Toh, B. H., Pettit, J. M., Erlich, R. & Gleeson, P. A. J. biol. Chem. 267, 20255–20263 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Schickedanz, J., Scheidtmann, K. H. & Walter, G. Virology 148, 47–57 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Mu, F-T. et al. Clin. Exp. Immun. 71, 100–106 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Bootsma, D., Budke, L. & Vos, O. Expl Cell Res. 33, 301–309 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Alderuccio, F., Chan, E. K. L. & Tan, E. M. J. exp. Med. 173, 941–952 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Young, R. A. & Davis, R. W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 1194–1198 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Hanahan, D. J. molec. Biol. 166, 557–580 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Chomczynski, P. & Sacchi, N. Analyt. Biochem. 162, 156–159 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Chen, E. Y. & Seeburg, P. H. DNA 4, 165–170 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Immunology, Monash University Medical School, Melbourne, Victoria, 3181, Australia

    Jing-Ping Yeo, Frank Alderuccio & Ban-Hock Teh

Authors
  1. Jing-Ping Yeo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Frank Alderuccio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ban-Hock Teh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yeo, JP., Alderuccio, F. & Teh, BH. A new chromosomal protein essential for mitotic spindle assembly. Nature 367, 288–291 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/367288a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/367288a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing