Faculty Collaboration Database

The Aurora A-HP1γ pathway regulates gene expression and mitosis in cells from the sperm lineage. BMC Dev Biol 2015 May 29;15:23

Date

05/30/2015

Pubmed ID

26021315

Pubmed Central ID

PMC4448908

DOI

10.1186/s12861-015-0073-x

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84930204241 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   6 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: HP1γ, a well-known regulator of gene expression, has been recently identified to be a target of Aurora A, a mitotic kinase which is important for both gametogenesis and embryogenesis. The purpose of this study was to define whether the Aurora A-HP1γ pathway supports cell division of gametes and/or early embryos, using western blot, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, shRNA-based knockdown, site-directed mutagenesis, and Affymetrix-based genome-wide expression profiles.

RESULTS: We find that the form of HP1γ phosphorylated by Aurora A, P-Ser83 HP1γ, is a passenger protein, which localizes to the spermatozoa centriole and axoneme. In addition, disruption in this pathway causes centrosomal abnormalities and aberrations in cell division. Expression profiling of male germ cell lines demonstrates that HP1γ phosphorylation is critical for the regulation of mitosis-associated gene expression networks. In female gametes, we observe that P-Ser83-HP1γ is not present in meiotic centrosomes of M2 oocytes, but after syngamy, it becomes detectable during cleavage divisions, coinciding with early embryonic genome activation.

CONCLUSIONS: These results support the idea that phosphorylation of HP1γ by Aurora A plays a role in the regulation of gene expression and mitotic cell division in cells from the sperm lineage and in early embryos. Combined, this data is relevant to better understanding the function of HP1γ in reproductive biology.

Author List

Leonard PH, Grzenda A, Mathison A, Morbeck DE, Fredrickson JR, de Assuncao TM, Christensen T, Salisbury J, Calvo E, Iovanna J, Coddington CC, Urrutia R, Lomberk G

Authors

Gwen Lomberk PhD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Angela Mathison PhD Assistant Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Thiago Milech De Assuncao Research Scientist II in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Raul A. Urrutia MD Center Director, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Aurora Kinase A
Cell Lineage
Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
Female
Gene Expression Regulation
Humans
Male
Mice
Mitosis
Phosphorylation
Spermatogenesis
Spermatozoa