Abstract

A New Role for a Long-Studied DNA-Wrangling Enzyme

Highlights

  • In the ongoing search for promising cancer drugs, researchers often discover effective therapies before knowing precisely how they work

  • Paula Coelho et al investigated the role of topoisomerase II (TOPO II) in a critically important step in the cell cycle—the separation of the duplicated chromosomes— and made a surprising discovery

  • Chromosomes to segregate properly, sister kinetochores must hook up to microtubules from spindle poles oriented toward opposite poles

Read more

Summary

Introduction

In the ongoing search for promising cancer drugs, researchers often discover effective therapies before knowing precisely how they work. Cohesins tie the sister chromatids together for alignment and attachment to the mitotic spindle—a spider-like array of microtubule proteins—via specialized structures called kinetochores, protein complexes that bind the chromosome’s centromere to connect sister chromatids to the spindle. Depletion of TOPO II results in syntelic kinetochore attachments (with kinetochores on the same spindle pole), non-disjunction, and highly reduced Aurora B kinase activity.

Results
Conclusion

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.