Work

Polo-like kinases in cell cycle checkpoint control

Year: 2003

Type: review

Abstract: Recent studies from various eukaryotic model systems indicate that polo-like kinases (Plks) play an ever-increasing role in the regulation of cell cycle progression. Early genetic studies have demonstrated that Cdc5, a budding yeast counterpart of vertebrate Plks, is essential for mitosis. Mammalian Plks primarily localize to the microtubule organization center during interphase and undergo dramatic subcellular relocation during mitotic progression. Many key cell cycle regulators such as p53, Cdc25C, cyclin B, and components of the anaphase promoting complex are directly targeted by Plks. Although the exact mechanisms of action of these protein kinases in vivo remain to be elucidated, Plks appear to orchestrate various cell cycle checkpoints (intra-S phase, G2/M transition, spindle assembly, and cytokinesis checkpoints) that protect cells against genetic instability during cell division.

Source: Frontiers in bioscience

DOI: 10.2741/1129

Author: Wei Dai

Institution: New York Medical College

Language: English

Topic: Microtubule and mitosis dynamics

Subfield: Cell Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute

Awards: G157231403, G2109091943, Molecular mechanisms underlying chromosomal instability and aneuploidy, PLK3 in the DNA damage checkpoint and tumor suppression