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Human nucleolin functions in nucleolus formation and chromosome congression
Author(s) -
Ma Nan,
Matsunaga Sachihiro,
Takata Hideaki,
Uchiyama Susumu,
Fukui Kiichi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.lb31-d
Subject(s) - nucleolin , nucleolus , mitosis , microbiology and biotechnology , prometaphase , centromere , kinetochore , interphase , biology , chromosome segregation , aurora b kinase , genetics , chromosome , cytoplasm , gene
A complex structure, designated as the chromosome periphery, surrounds each chromosome during mitosis. Although several proteins have been shown to localize to the chromosome periphery, their functions during mitosis remain unclear. Here, we used a combination of high‐resolution microscopy and RNA interference‐mediated depletion to study the functions of nucleolin, a nucleolar protein localized at the chromosome periphery, in interphase and mitosis. During mitosis, nucleolin was localized at the peripheral region and also in the vicinity of the outer kinetochore of chromosomes. Staining with an antibody specific for nucleolin phosphorylated by p34 cdc2 revealed that nucleolin was also associated with the spindle poles from prometaphase to anaphase. Nucleolin depletion resulted in disorganization of the nucleoli at interphase. Furthermore, nucleolin‐depleted cells showed a prolonged cell cycle with misaligned chromosomes and defects in spindle organization. The misaligned chromosomes showed syntelic kinetochore‐microtubule attachments with reduced centromere stretching. Our results indicate that nucleolin plays important roles not only in nucleolus formation, but also in chromosome congression.