cdc2 links the Drosophila cell cycle and asymmetric division machineries

• Published in: Nature (London) 2001-02, Vol.409 (6823), p.1063-1067
• Main Authors: Chia, William, Tio, Murni, Udolph, Gerald, Yang, Xiaohang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Asymmetry; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - physiology; Cdc2 protein; CDC2 Protein Kinase - genetics; CDC2 Protein Kinase - physiology; Cell Cycle; Cell Cycle Proteins - physiology; Cell Division; Cells; Central Nervous System - cytology; Cyclins - metabolism; Cytoskeletal Proteins - physiology; Determinants; Division; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Embryos; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotype; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insects; letter; Links; Localization; Mitosis; multidisciplinary; Mutation; Nerve Tissue Proteins - physiology; Nervous system; Neuropeptides; Nuclear Proteins - physiology; Organogenesis. Fetal development; Organogenesis. Physiological fonctions; Phenotype; Phosphorylation; Position (location); Proteins; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Transcription Factors
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/35059124

Asymmetric cell divisions can be mediated by the preferential segregation of cell-fate determinants into one of two sibling daughters. In Drosophila neural progenitors, Inscuteable, Partner of Inscuteable and Bazooka localize as an apical cortical complex at interphase, which directs the apical-basal orientation of the mitotic spindle as well as the basal/cortical localization of the cell-fate determinants Numb and/or Prospero during mitosis. Although localization of these proteins shows dependence on the cell cycle, the involvement of cell-cycle components in asymmetric divisions has not been demonstrated. Here we show that neural progenitor asymmetric divisions require the cell-cycle regulator cdc2. By attenuating Drosophila cdc2 function without blocking mitosis, normally asymmetric progenitor divisions become defective, failing to correctly localize asymmetric components during mitosis and/or to resolve distinct sibling fates. cdc2 is not necessary for initiating apical complex formation during interphase; however, maintaining the asymmetric localization of the apical components during mitosis requires Cdc2/B-type cyclin complexes. Our findings link cdc2 with asymmetric divisions, and explain why the asymmetric localization of molecules like Inscuteable show cell-cycle dependence.