title: Sealed with a Kiz: How Plk1 ensures spindle pole integrity.
abstract: The kinase Plk1 plays multiple roles in regulating mitotic progression, including stabilization of spindle poles, but its substrates are largely unknown. A new study by Yamamoto and coworkers has identified a centrosomal protein, Kizuna (Kiz), as a mitotic substrate of Plk1 (Oshimori et al., 2006). Phosphorylation of Kiz ensures the integrity of spindle poles in the face of severe pulling forces exerted by the chromosome-attached spindle microtubules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: Joanne E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Baxter
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018385:Centrosome / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D013912:Threonine / Q000378:metabolism; D000097869:Polo-Like Kinase 1
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D013912:Threonine; D000097869:Polo-Like Kinase 1