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Research findings from Baylor College of Medicine, College of Medicine update understanding of cell biology
2009 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to a study from the United States, "Genomic instability is a hallmark of human cancers. Spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a critical cellular mechanism that prevents chromosome missegregation and therefore aneuploidy by blocking premature separation of sister chromatids." "Thus, SAC, much like the DNA damage checkpoint, is essential for genome stability. In this study, we report the generation and analysis of mice carrying a Cdc20 allele in which three residues critical for the interaction with Mad2 were mutated to alanine. The mutant Cdc20 protein (AAA-Cdc20) is no longer inhibited by Mad2 in response to SAC activation, leading to the dysfunction of SAC and aneuploidy. The dysfunction could not be rescued by the additional expression of another Cdc20 inhibitor, BubR1. Furthermore, we found that Cdc20(AAA/AAA) mice died at late gestation, but Cdc20(+/AAA) mice were viable," wrote M. Li and colleagues, Baylor College of Medicine, College of Medicine. The researchers concluded: "Importantly, Cdc20(+/AAA) mice developed spontaneous tumors at highly accelerated rates, indicating that the SACmediated inhibition of Cdc20 is an important tumor-suppressing mechanism.." Li and colleagues published the results of their research in the Journal of Cell Biology (Loss of spindle assembly checkpoint-mediated inhibition of Cdc20 promotes tumorigenesis in mice. Journal of Cell Biology, 2009;185(6):983-994). For additional information, contact P.M. Zhang, Baylor College of Medicine, Dept. of Molecular Physiol & Biophysics, Houston, TX 77030, USA. The publisher of the Journal of Cell Biology can be contacted at: Rockefeller University Press, 1114 First Avenue, 4TH FL, New York, NY 10021, USA. Keywords: United States, Houston, Life Sciences, DNA Research, DNA Damage, Proteomics, Deoxyribonucleic Acid, Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, College of Medicine. This article was prepared by Science Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Science Letter via NewsRx.com.
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