Suppression of Nek2A in mouse early embryos confirms its requirement for chromosome segregation.
Nek2, a mammalian structural homologue of Aspergillus protein kinase NIMA, is predominantly known as a centrosomal kinase that controls centriole-centriole linkage during the cell cycle. However, its dynamic subcellular localization during mitosis suggested that Nek2 might be involved in diverse cell cycle events in addition to the centrosomal cycle. In order to determine the importance of Nek2 during mammalian development, we investigated the expression and function of Nek2 in mouse early embryos. Our results show that both Nek2A and Nek2B were expressed throughout early embryogenesis. Unlike cultured human cells, however, embryonic Nek2A appeared not to be destroyed upon entry into mitosis, suggesting that the Nek2A protein level is controlled in a unique manner during mouse early embryogenesis. Suppression of Nek2 expression by RNAi resulted in developmental defects at the second mitosis. Many of the blastomeres in Nek2-suppressed embryos showed abnormality in nuclear morphology, including dumbbell-like nuclei, nuclear bridges and micronuclei. These results indicate the importance of Nek2 for proper chromosome segregation in embryonic mitoses.
School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
Seongkeun
S
Sonn
Inkoo
I
Khang
Kyungjin
K
Kim
Kunsoo
K
Rhee
D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018385:Centrosome / Q000502:physiology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000196:embryology; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000502:physiology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology*; D000072379:NIMA-Related Kinases; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011130:RNA Ligase (ATP); D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000502:physiology; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000502:physiology
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D000072379:NIMA-Related Kinases; C490317:Nek2 protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011130:RNA Ligase (ATP)