title: Cug2 is essential for normal mitotic control and CNS development in zebrafish.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We recently identified a novel oncogene, Cancer-upregulated gene 2 (CUG2), which is essential for kinetochore formation and promotes tumorigenesis in mammalian cells. However, the in vivo function of CUG2 has not been studied in animal models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To study the function of CUG2 in vivo, we isolated a zebrafish homologue that is expressed specifically in the proliferating cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Morpholino-mediated knockdown of cug2 resulted in apoptosis throughout the CNS and the development of neurodegenerative phenotypes. In addition, cug2-deficient embryos contained mitotically arrested cells displaying abnormal spindle formation and chromosome misalignment in the neural plate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therefore, our findings suggest that Cug2 is required for normal mitosis during early neurogenesis and has functions in neuronal cell maintenance, thus demonstrating that the cug2 deficient embryos may provide a model system for human neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Taek
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ju-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Seung-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Dae-Gwon
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Wansoo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Nam-Soon
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soojin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cheol-Hee
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000196:embryology; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018386:Kinetochores / Q000378:metabolism; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology*; D060172:Morpholinos / Q000235:genetics; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D060172:Morpholinos; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C570077:cenpw protein, zebrafish