QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

Vol. 16, Issue 2, 742-756, February 2005

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Material All Versions of this Article: E04-08-0682v1 16/2/742    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bishop, J. D. Articles by Schumacher, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bishop, J. D. Articles by Schumacher, J. M.

The Caenorhabditis elegans Aurora B Kinase AIR-2 Phosphorylates and Is Required for the Localization of a BimC Kinesin to Meiotic and Mitotic Spindles

John D. Bishop ^* , Zhenbo Han ^*, and Jill M. Schumacher ^*  

^* Department of Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030; Genes and Development Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas-Houston, Houston, TX 77030

Submitted August 9, 2004; Revised October 6, 2004; Accepted October 31, 2004
Monitoring Editor: Susan Strome

BimC kinesins are required for mitotic spindle assembly in a variety of organisms. These proteins are localized to centrosomes, spindle microtubules, and the spindle midzone. We have previously shown that the Caenorhabditis elegans Aurora B kinase AIR-2 is required for the localization of the ZEN-4 kinesin protein to midzone microtubules. To determine whether the association of BimC kinesins with spindle microtubules is also dependent on AIR-2, we examined the expression pattern of BMK-1, a C. elegans BimC kinesin, in wild-type and AIR-2–deficient embryos. BMK-1 is highly expressed in the hermaphrodite gonad and is localized to meiotic spindle microtubules in the newly fertilized embryo. In mitotic embryos, BMK-1 is associated with spindle microtubules from prophase through anaphase and is concentrated at the spindle midzone during anaphase and telophase. In the absence of AIR-2, BMK-1 localization to meiotic and mitotic spindles is greatly reduced. This is not a consequence of loss of ZEN-4 localization because BMK-1 is appropriately localized in ZEN-4–deficient embryos. Furthermore, AIR-2 and BMK-1 directly interact with one another and the C-terminal tail domain of BMK-1 is specifically phosphorylated by AIR-2 in vitro. Together with our previous data, these results suggest that at least one function of the Aurora B kinases is to recruit spindle-associated motor proteins to their sites of action.

The online version of this article contains supplemental material at MBC Online (http://www.molbiolcell.org).

Present address: Invitrogen, 1600 Faraday Ave., P.O. Box 6482, Carlsbad, CA 92008.

Corresponding author. E-mail address: jschumac{at}mdanderson.org.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Rapley, M. Nicolas, A. Groen, L. Regue, M. T. Bertran, C. Caelles, J. Avruch, and J. Roig The NIMA-family kinase Nek6 phosphorylates the kinesin Eg5 at a novel site necessary for mitotic spindle formation J. Cell Sci., December 1, 2008; 121(23): 3912 - 3921. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. McNally, A. Audhya, K. Oegema, and F. J. McNally Katanin controls mitotic and meiotic spindle length J. Cell Biol., December 18, 2006; 175(6): 881 - 891. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. Burrows, B. K. Sceurman, M. E. Kosinski, C. T. Richie, P. L. Sadler, J. M. Schumacher, and A. Golden The C. elegans Myt1 ortholog is required for the proper timing of oocyte maturation Development, February 15, 2006; 133(4): 697 - 709. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]