The Drosophila kinesin-like protein KLP67A is essential for mitotic and male meiotic spindle assembly
Gandhi, Rita ; Bonaccorsi, Silvia ; Wentworth, Diana ; Doxsey, Stephen J. ; Gatti, Maurizio ; Pereira, Andrea J.
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UMass Chan Affiliations
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Keywords
Centrosome
Chromosome Segregation
Drosophila
Drosophila Proteins
Genes, Fungal
Male
Meiosis
Microscopy, Fluorescence
Microtubule-Associated Proteins
Microtubules
Mitosis
Mitotic Spindle Apparatus
Mutation
RNA, Small Interfering
Spermatocytes
Tubulin
Life Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
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Abstract
We have performed a mutational analysis together with RNA interference to determine the role of the kinesin-like protein KLP67A in Drosophila cell division. During both mitosis and male meiosis, Klp67A mutations cause an increase in MT length and disrupt discrete aspects of spindle assembly, as well as cytokinesis. Mutant cells exhibit greatly enlarged metaphase spindle as a result of excessive MT polymerization. The analysis of both living and fixed cells also shows perturbations in centrosome separation, chromosome segregation, and central spindle assembly. These data demonstrate that the MT plus end-directed motor KLP67A is essential for spindle assembly during mitosis and male meiosis and suggest that the regulation of MT plus-end polymerization is a key determinant of spindle architecture throughout cell division.
Source
Mol Biol Cell. 2004 Jan;15(1):121-31. Epub 2003 Sep 17. Link to article on publisher's site