PUBLICATION

Cug2 is essential for normal mitotic control and CNS development in zebrafish

Authors
Kim, H.T., So, J.H., Jung, S.H., Ahn, D.G., Koh, W., Kim, N.S., Kim, S.H., Lee, S., and Kim, C.H.
ID
ZDB-PUB-110816-18
Date
2011
Source
BMC Developmental Biology   11(1): 49 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Ahn, Dae-gwon, Jung, Seung-Hyun, Kim, Cheol-Hee, Kim, Hyun-Taek, So, Ju-Hoon
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis/genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism
  • Central Nervous System/embryology*
  • Central Nervous System/metabolism*
  • Chromosome Aberrations/embryology
  • Chromosomes/genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental*
  • Kinetochores/metabolism
  • Mitosis/physiology*
  • Morpholinos/genetics
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases/genetics
  • Neurogenesis/genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins/genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins/metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Spindle Apparatus/genetics
  • Spindle Apparatus/pathology
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism*
PubMed
21838932 Full text @ BMC Dev. Biol.
Abstract

Background

We recently identified a novel oncogene, Cancer-upregulated gene 2 (CUG2), which is essential for kinetochore formation and promotes tumorigenesis in mammalian cells. However, the in vivo function of CUG2 has not been studied in animal models.

Results

To study the function of CUG2 in vivo, we isolated a zebrafish homologue that is expressed specifically in the proliferating cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Morpholino-mediated knockdown of cug2 resulted in apoptosis throughout the CNS and the development of neurodegenerative phenotypes. In addition, cug2-deficient embryos contained mitotically arrested cells displaying abnormal spindle formation and chromosome misalignment in the neural plate.

Conclusions

Therefore, our findings suggest that Cug2 is required for normal mitosis during early neurogenesis and has functions in neuronal cell maintenance, thus demonstrating that the cug2 deficient embryos may provide a model system for human neurodegenerative disorders.

Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping