QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online December 9, 2004

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JCS Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Spindle poles gain importins

The GTPase Ran and its effectors importins regulate not only nuclear import but also spindle organization, assembly of the nuclear envelope and other key cell-cycle events. Spatial control of the Ran system is critical in each case. Patrizia Lavia and co-workers have therefore studied the localization of importin ß during mitosis (see p. 6511). They observe that, after the nuclear envelope breaks down, importin ß migrates to the spindle poles, where it colocalizes with Ran. They then use cytoskeletal inhibitors and anti-dynein antibodies to demonstrate that this requires microtubules and that importin ß is transported along these by the motor protein dynein. The authors go on to show that RNAi directed against the importin-binding spindle regulator TPX2 prevents importin ß localizing to spindle poles. Furthermore, they demonstrate that importin ß overexpression causes spindle abnormalities, which can be rescued by coexpression of TPX2. Lavia and co-workers conclude that the balance of importin and TPX2 activities is critical for assembly of normal mitotic spindles. They also propose that targeting of importin-TPX2 complexes to spindle poles is an essential aspect of the Ran system's mitotic role.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

Related articles in JCS:

Importin ß is transported to spindle poles during mitosis and regulates Ran-dependent spindle assembly factors in mammalian cells

Marilena Ciciarello, Rosamaria Mangiacasale, Catherine Thibier, Giulia Guarguaglini, Enzo Marchetti, Barbara Di Fiore, and Patrizia Lavia
JCS 2004 117: 6511-6522. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JCS Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?