This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Litvak, V.
Right arrow Articles by Lev, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Litvak, V.
Right arrow Articles by Lev, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Molecular and Cellular Biology, July 2002, p. 5064-5075, Vol. 22, No. 14
0270-7306/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/MCB.22.14.5064-5075.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Nir2, a Human Homolog of Drosophila melanogaster Retinal Degeneration B Protein, Is Essential for Cytokinesis

Vladimir Litvak, Donguha Tian, Shari Carmon, and Sima Lev*

Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel

Received 17 January 2002/ Returned for modification 4 March 2002/ Accepted 17 April 2002

Cytokinesis, the final stage of eukaryotic cell division, ensures the production of two daughter cells. It requires fine coordination between the plasma membrane and cytoskeletal networks, and it is known to be regulated by several intracellular proteins, including the small GTPase Rho and its effectors. In this study we provide evidence that the protein Nir2 is essential for cytokinesis. Microinjection of anti-Nir2 antibodies into interphase cells blocks cytokinesis, as it results in the production of multinucleate cells. Immunolocalization studies revealed that Nir2 is mainly localized in the Golgi apparatus in interphase cells, but it is recruited to the cleavage furrow and the midbody during cytokinesis. Nir2 colocalizes with the small GTPase RhoA in the cleavage furrow and the midbody, and it associates with RhoA in mitotic cells. Its N-terminal region, which contains a phosphatidylinositol transfer domain and a novel Rho-inhibitory domain (Rid), is required for normal cytokinesis, as overexpression of an N-terminal-truncated mutant blocks cytokinesis completion. Time-lapse videomicroscopy revealed that this mutant normally initiates cytokinesis but fails to complete it, due to cleavage furrow regression, while Rid markedly affects cytokinesis due to abnormal contractility. Rid-expressing cells exhibit aberrant ingression and ectopic cleavage sites; the cells fail to segregate into daughter cells and they form a long unseparated bridge-like cytoplasmic structure. These results provide new insight into the cellular functions of Nir2 and introduce it as a novel regulator of cytokinesis.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. Phone: 972-8-934-2126. Fax: 972-8-934-4131. E-mail: sima.lev{at}weizmann.ac.il.


Molecular and Cellular Biology, July 2002, p. 5064-5075, Vol. 22, No. 14
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/MCB.22.14.5064-5075.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Howe, A. G., Fairn, G. D., MacDonald, K., Bankaitis, V. A., McMaster, C. R. (2007). Regulation of Phosphoinositide Levels by the Phospholipid Transfer Protein Sec14p Controls Cdc42p/p21-Activated Kinase-Mediated Cell Cycle Progression at Cytokinesis. Eukaryot Cell 6: 1814-1823 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gatt, M. K., Glover, D. M. (2006). The Drosophila phosphatidylinositol transfer protein encoded by vibrator is essential to maintain cleavage-furrow ingression in cytokinesis. J. Cell Sci. 119: 2225-2235 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Emoto, K., Inadome, H., Kanaho, Y., Narumiya, S., Umeda, M. (2005). Local Change in Phospholipid Composition at the Cleavage Furrow Is Essential for Completion of Cytokinesis. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 37901-37907 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Amarilio, R., Ramachandran, S., Sabanay, H., Lev, S. (2005). Differential Regulation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Structure through VAP-Nir Protein Interaction. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 5934-5944 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Peterman, T. K., Ohol, Y. M., McReynolds, L. J., Luna, E. J. (2004). Patellin1, a Novel Sec14-Like Protein, Localizes to the Cell Plate and Binds Phosphoinositides. Plant Physiol. 136: 3080-3094 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Saul, D., Fabian, L., Forer, A., Brill, J. A. (2004). Continuous phosphatidylinositol metabolism is required for cleavage of crane fly spermatocytes. J. Cell Sci. 117: 3887-3896 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tomas, A., Futter, C., Moss, S. E. (2004). Annexin 11 is required for midbody formation and completion of the terminal phase of cytokinesis. JCB 165: 813-822 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Altan-Bonnet, N., Phair, R. D., Polishchuk, R. S., Weigert, R., Lippincott-Schwartz, J. (2003). A role for Arf1 in mitotic Golgi disassembly, chromosome segregation, and cytokinesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100: 13314-13319 [Abstract] [Full Text]