Exercising restraints: role of Chk1 in regulating the onset and progression of unperturbed mitosis in vertebrate cells.
In vertebrate cells Chk1 is essential for multiple checkpoint responses to acute DNA damage or replication blocks, however potential functions for Chk1 during unperturbed cell cycles have remained less well characterised. In the past few years a role for Chk1 in timing the onset of mitosis in the absence of exogenous perturbations via regulation of Cdc25 family phosphatases has been documented. Furthermore, a recent report shows that Chk1 is also required for the spindle checkpoint which protects against spontaneous chromosome mis-segregation during mitotic cell division. Specifically, Chk1 is required for proper regulation of the mitotic Aurora-B kinase which ensures that anaphase proceeds only once all kinetochores have achieved bipolar attachment to microtubules and are under tension.
Zachos
George
G
Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, UK. g.zachos@beatson.gla.ac.uk
Gillespie
David A F
DA
D000705:Anaphase / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D064107:Aurora Kinase B; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000235:genetics; D018816:Genes, cdc / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020687:cdc25 Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; C576921:AURKB protein, human; D064107:Aurora Kinase B; D064127:Aurora Kinases; C000605867:CHEK1 protein, human; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020687:cdc25 Phosphatases