Mitosis: Chromosome Segregation and Stability

Loren Michel, Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
Robert Benezra, Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA

Published online: January 2006

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0005774

Mammalian cells are charged with the task of evenly distributing 46 chromosomes to each of two daughter cells during every mitotic cell cycle. Abnormal function of any one of the numerous genes involved in this process can result in the aberrant transmission of chromosomes from the parental cell to its progeny.

Keywords: aneuploidy; centrosome; checkpoint; chromosome; mitosis

Figure 1. Centriole replication. Centrosome duplication begins in G1 during which the centrioles (cylinders) separate and begin to replicate. This process is finished by late G2. At this phase of the cell cycle, the two centrioles are part of a single centrosomal complex which splits into two at the beginning of the M phase. Microtubules are nucleated from the centrosome matrix (circles).
Figure 2. Mitosis from prometaphase through anaphase. At prometaphase, chromosomes are not yet aligned at the metaphase plate, and monooriented chromosomes lacking a bipolar spindle attachment will activate the mitotic checkpoint. Once all of the chromosomes are fully aligned at the metaphase plate in a bipolar orientation, the checkpoint is inactivated and Mad2l1 repression of APC activity is relieved. Securin is then ubiquitinated (Ub) by the APC, resulting in its release of separin, proteolytic destruction of the cohesins and anaphase onset (CENPE: human centromeric protein E).
Figure 3. Examples of mitotic errors and a list of the gene products associated with their abnormalities. See text for additional details.
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 Web Links
    ePath Adenomatosis polyposis coli (APC); Locus ID: 324. LocusLink: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/LocusLink/LocRpt.cgi?l=324
    ePath BUB1 budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1 homolog (yeast) (BUB1); Locus ID: 699. LocusLink: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/LocusLink/LocRpt.cgi?l=699
    ePath BUB1 budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1 homolog beta (yeast) (BUB1B); Locus ID: 701. LocusLink: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/LocusLink/LocRpt.cgi?l=701
    ePath BUB3 budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 3 homolog (yeast) (BUB3); Locus ID: 9184. LocusLink: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/LocusLink/LocRpt.cgi?l=9184
    ePath MAD1 mitotic arrest deficient-like 1 (yeast) (MAD1L1); Locus ID: 8379. LocusLink: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/LocusLink/LocRpt.cgi?l=8379
    ePath MAD2 mitotic arrest deficient-like 1 (yeast) (MAD2L1); Locus ID: 4085. LocusLink: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/LocusLink/LocRpt.cgi?l=4085
    ePath Adenomatosis polyposis coli (APC); MIM number: 175100. OMIM: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?175100
    ePath BUB1 budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1 homolog (yeast) (BUB1); MIM number: 602452. OMIM: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?602452
    ePath BUB1 budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1 homolog beta (yeast) (BUB1B); MIM number: 602860. OMIM: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?602860
    ePath BUB3 budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 3 homolog (yeast) (BUB3); MIM number: 603719. OMIM: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?603719
    ePath MAD1 mitotic arrest deficient-like 1 (yeast) (MAD1L1); MIM number: 602686. OMIM: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?602686
    ePath MAD2 mitotic arrest deficient-like 1 (yeast) (MAD2L1); MIM number: 601467. OMIM: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?601467

Related Sub-Topics:

Cell Cycle | Chromosome Segregation | Nucleic Acid Structure | Chromosomes and Chromatin Modifications | DNA Structure and Function
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Article Title: Mitosis: Chromosome Segregation and Stability
 
How to Cite close
Michel, Loren, and Benezra, Robert(Jan 2006) Mitosis: Chromosome Segregation and Stability. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0005774]