title: Centrosome separation driven by actin-microfilaments during mitosis is mediated by centrosome-associated tyrosine-phosphorylated cortactin.
abstract: The regulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation is an important aspect during the cell cycle. From G2-M transition to mitotic anaphase, phosphorylation of Tyr421, Tyr466 and Tyr482 of cortactin, an actin-filament associated protein, is dramatically induced. The phosphorylated cortactin is almost exclusively associated with centrosomes or spindle poles during mitosis. At G2-M transition prior to the breakdown of the nuclear envelope, two duplicated centrosomes migrate towards opposite ends of the nucleus to form the spindle poles. This centrosome-separation process and also the start of mitosis are inhibited or delayed by the depolymerization of actin filaments. Also inhibited is the separation of centrosomes when a truncated form of cortactin is expressed, whose C-terminus contains the tyrosine phosphorylation region but lacks the actin-binding domains. We introduced mutations at the tyrosine phosphorylation sites in the truncated C-terminus of cortactin and found that the C-terminus could no longer interfere with centrosome separation process. Our study shows that, cortactin phosphorylated at Tyr421, Tyr466 and Tyr482 mediates the actin-filament-driven centrosome separation at G2-M transition by providing a bridge between the centrosome and actin-filaments.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wenqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Luyun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yubo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D018385:Centrosome; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D051356:Cortactin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D051356:Cortactin; D014443:Tyrosine