The FA2 gene of Chlamydomonas encodes a NIMA family kinase with roles in cell cycle progression and microtubule severing during deflagellation.
The NIMA kinases are one of several families of kinases that participate in driving the eukaryotic cell cycle. NIMA-related kinases have been implicated in G2/M progression, chromatin condensation and regulation of the centrosome cycle. Here we report the identification of a new member of this family, FA2, from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. FA2 was originally discovered in a genetic screen for deflagellation-defective mutants. We have previously shown that FA2 is essential for basal-body/centriole-associated microtubule severing. We now report that the FA2 NIMA-related kinase also plays a role in cell cycle progression in Chlamydomonas. This is the first indication that members of the NIMA family might exert their effects through the regulation of microtubule severing.
Mahjoub
Moe R
MR
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6.
Montpetit
Ben
B
Zhao
Lifan
L
Finst
Rip J
RJ
Goh
Benjamin
B
Kim
Apollos C
AC
Quarmby
Lynne M
LM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002469:Cell Separation; D048429:Cell Size; D002696:Chlamydomonas / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D000072380:NIMA-Related Kinase 1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C000606914:NEK1 protein, human; D000072380:NIMA-Related Kinase 1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases