Safeguarding entry into mitosis: the antephase checkpoint.
Maintenance of genomic stability is needed for cells to survive many rounds of division throughout their lifetime. Key to the proper inheritance of intact genome is the tight temporal and spatial coordination of cell cycle events. Moreover, checkpoints are present that function to monitor the proper execution of cell cycle processes. For instance, the DNA damage and spindle assembly checkpoints ensure genomic integrity by delaying cell cycle progression in the presence of DNA or spindle damage, respectively. A checkpoint that has recently been gaining attention is the antephase checkpoint that acts to prevent cells from entering mitosis in response to a range of stress agents. We review here what is known about the pathway that monitors the status of the cells at the brink of entry into mitosis when cells are exposed to insults that threaten the proper inheritance of chromosomes. We highlight issues which are unresolved in terms of our understanding of the antephase checkpoint and provide some perspectives on what lies ahead in the understanding of how the checkpoint functions.
Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore S117597, Singapore.
Cheen Fei
CF
Chin
Foong May
FM
Yeong
D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000502:physiology; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004249:DNA Damage; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007399:Interphase / Q000502:physiology*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000075223:Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000075223:Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins; C412002:CHFR protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases