title: Preferential expression of NuMA in the nuclei of proliferating cells.
abstract: Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) has an indispensable function in normal mitosis as an organizer of the mitotic spindle. NuMA is a prominent component of interphase cell nuclear matrix but its role during interphase is largely unknown. We examined the presence of NuMA in several human tissues. The majority of cells were positive for NuMA but a few negative cell types were found, including spermatozoa, superficial keratinocytes, neutrophil granulocytes, syncytiotrophoblasts, and some neurons, fibroblasts, and smooth and skeletal muscle cells. We further investigated the presence of NuMA in a cultured estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cell line and observed the disappearance of nuclear NuMA in the quiescent cells. The percentage of NuMA-positive cells diminished from an initial approximately 100 to 60% during 6 days of culture. The presence of NuMA correlated positively with the presence of proliferation marker Ki-67 antigen and negatively with the culture time, confluence, and size of the cell islets. These results show that some nonproliferating, highly differentiated cell types lack NuMA and that cells may lose their NuMA without dramatic effects on the nuclear shape. This suggests that NuMA may be a nonessential component of the interphase nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, Turku, FIN-20520, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taimen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viljamaa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kallajoki
mesh_terms: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008938:Mitosis; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012016:Reference Values; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C050045:NUMA1 protein, human; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins