title: A cell-based assay for screening spindle checkpoint inhibitors.
abstract: In eukaryotes, the spindle checkpoint acts as a surveillance mechanism that ensures faithful chromosome segregation. The spindle checkpoint prevents premature separation of sister chromatids and the onset of anaphase until every chromosome is properly attached to the mitotic spindle. Tumorigenesis might result from generation of aneuploidy by dysfunction of the spindle checkpoint. Differences of the checkpoint system in normal cells versus tumor cells might provide a new opportunity in cancer drug development; therefore, efforts to identify the spindle checkpoint inhibitors have been fostered. Based on spindle checkpoint inhibitors being able to induce cells to exit mitotic arrest caused by microtubule drug treatment, we developed a cell-based assay to screen compounds that were potential spindle checkpoint inhibitors. This assay was validated with a known spindle checkpoint inhibitor and was easy to adapt to a large-scale screening. It also had the advantages of being high in sensitivity and low in cost.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhen Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Long Yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Da Qian
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiaotong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006367:HeLa Cells; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008940:Mitotic Index; D015739:Nocodazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011687:Purines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077546:Roscovitine; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000187:drug effects*; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011687:Purines; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D000077546:Roscovitine; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C022616:thiazolyl blue; D015739:Nocodazole