Cortical Localization of Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) Implicated in Cytokinesis in Early Xenopus Embryos

Overview

Journal Commun Integr Biol

Specialty Biology

Date 2011 Oct 4

PMID 21966578

Citations 7

Authors

Jean-Pierre Tassan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

MELK has been implicated in a large variety of functions. Because its level is elevated in cancer tissues and it is involved in cell proliferation, MELK is considered as a potential therapeutic target for cancers. In a recent, study we have shown that MELK is involved in cytokinesis in early Xenopus laevis embryos. MELK dynamically accumulates at the cell cortex including a narrow band corresponding to the presumptive division furrow shortly before cytokinesis onset. MELK co-localizes and interacts with anillin an important regulator of cytokinesis. In addition, MELK overexpression interferes with accumulation at the cleavage furrow of activated Rho GTPase another crucial regulator of cytokinesis. Interestingly, our study also revealed that a transition implying a change in the direction of asymmetric furrow ingression occurs during early development. After this transition, MELK, as well as other proteins involved in cytokinesis, do not localize anymore as a band at the equatorial cortex but still localizes at the cell cortex. Our results indicate that cortical localization is an important feature of MELK in X. laevis embryos.

Citing Articles

The high expression of TOP2A and MELK induces the occurrence of psoriasis.

Zhu X, Zhang E, Qin L Aging (Albany NY). 2024; 16(4):3185-3199.

PMID: 38382096 PMC: 10929818. DOI: 10.18632/aging.205519.

A synthetic lethal screen identifies HDAC4 as a potential target in MELK overexpressing cancers.

Zhou L, Zheng S, Rosas Bringas F, Bakker B, Simon J, Bakker P G3 (Bethesda). 2021; 11(12).

PMID: 34550356 PMC: 8664443. DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab335.

Cloning, tissue distribution, expression pattern, and function of porcine maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase.

Chen P, Wang J, Wang X, Chen X, Li C, Tan T Ann Transl Med. 2020; 8(5):239.

PMID: 32309386 PMC: 7154462. DOI: 10.21037/atm.2020.03.46.

CES-1 Snail Represses MELK Expression To Control Asymmetric Cell Division.

Wei H, Yan B, Gagneur J, Conradt B Genetics. 2017; 206(4):2069-2084.

PMID: 28652378 PMC: 5560807. DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.202754.

OTSSP167 Abrogates Mitotic Checkpoint through Inhibiting Multiple Mitotic Kinases.

Ji W, Arnst C, Tipton A, Bekier 2nd M, Taylor W, Yen T PLoS One. 2016; 11(4):e0153518.

PMID: 27082996 PMC: 4833387. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153518.

References

Mirey G, Chartrain I, Froment C, Quaranta M, Bouche J, Monsarrat B . CDC25B phosphorylated by pEg3 localizes to the centrosome and the spindle poles at mitosis. Cell Cycle. 2005; 4(6):806-11. DOI: 10.4161/cc.4.6.1716. View

Audhya A, Hyndman F, McLeod I, Maddox A, Yates 3rd J, Desai A . A complex containing the Sm protein CAR-1 and the RNA helicase CGH-1 is required for embryonic cytokinesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Cell Biol. 2005; 171(2):267-79. PMC: 2171198. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200506124. View

Daub H, Olsen J, Bairlein M, Gnad F, Oppermann F, Korner R . Kinase-selective enrichment enables quantitative phosphoproteomics of the kinome across the cell cycle. Mol Cell. 2008; 31(3):438-48. DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2008.07.007. View

Badouel C, Korner R, Frank-Vaillant M, Couturier A, Nigg E, Tassan J . M-phase MELK activity is regulated by MPF and MAPK. Cell Cycle. 2006; 5(8):883-9. DOI: 10.4161/cc.5.8.2683. View

Chartrain I, Couturier A, Tassan J . Cell-cycle-dependent cortical localization of pEg3 protein kinase in Xenopus and human cells. Biol Cell. 2005; 98(4):253-63. DOI: 10.1042/BC20050041. View

Blot J, Chartrain I, Roghi C, Philippe M, Tassan J . Cell cycle regulation of pEg3, a new Xenopus protein kinase of the KIN1/PAR-1/MARK family. Dev Biol. 2002; 241(2):327-38. DOI: 10.1006/dbio.2001.0525. View

Cordes S, Frank C, Garriga G . The C. elegans MELK ortholog PIG-1 regulates cell size asymmetry and daughter cell fate in asymmetric neuroblast divisions. Development. 2006; 133(14):2747-56. DOI: 10.1242/dev.02447. View

Lin M, Park J, Nishidate T, Nakamura Y, Katagiri T . Involvement of maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) in mammary carcinogenesis through interaction with Bcl-G, a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family. Breast Cancer Res. 2007; 9(1):R17. PMC: 1851384. DOI: 10.1186/bcr1650. View

Bement W, Benink H, von Dassow G . A microtubule-dependent zone of active RhoA during cleavage plane specification. J Cell Biol. 2005; 170(1):91-101. PMC: 2171391. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200501131. View

10.

Heyer B, Warsowe J, Solter D, Knowles B, Ackerman S . New member of the Snf1/AMPK kinase family, Melk, is expressed in the mouse egg and preimplantation embryo. Mol Reprod Dev. 1997; 47(2):148-56. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2795(199706)47:2<148::AID-MRD4>3.0.CO;2-M. View

11.

Maddox A, Lewellyn L, Desai A, Oegema K . Anillin and the septins promote asymmetric ingression of the cytokinetic furrow. Dev Cell. 2007; 12(5):827-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2007.02.018. View

12.

Pickard M, Green A, Ellis I, Caldas C, Hedge V, Mourtada-Maarabouni M . Dysregulated expression of Fau and MELK is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res. 2009; 11(4):R60. PMC: 2750122. DOI: 10.1186/bcr2350. View

13.

Nakano I, Paucar A, Bajpai R, Dougherty J, Zewail A, Kelly T . Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) regulates multipotent neural progenitor proliferation. J Cell Biol. 2005; 170(3):413-27. PMC: 2171475. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200412115. View

14.

Davezac N, Baldin V, Blot J, Ducommun B, Tassan J . Human pEg3 kinase associates with and phosphorylates CDC25B phosphatase: a potential role for pEg3 in cell cycle regulation. Oncogene. 2002; 21(50):7630-41. DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1205870. View

15.

Paris J, Philippe M . Poly(A) metabolism and polysomal recruitment of maternal mRNAs during early Xenopus development. Dev Biol. 1990; 140(1):221-4. DOI: 10.1016/0012-1606(90)90070-y. View

16.

Vulsteke V, Beullens M, Boudrez A, Keppens S, Van Eynde A, Rider M . Inhibition of spliceosome assembly by the cell cycle-regulated protein kinase MELK and involvement of splicing factor NIPP1. J Biol Chem. 2003; 279(10):8642-7. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M311466200. View

17.

Gray D, Jubb A, Hogue D, Dowd P, Kljavin N, Yi S . Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase/murine protein serine-threonine kinase 38 is a promising therapeutic target for multiple cancers. Cancer Res. 2005; 65(21):9751-61. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-04-4531. View

18.

Reinsch S, Karsenti E . Orientation of spindle axis and distribution of plasma membrane proteins during cell division in polarized MDCKII cells. J Cell Biol. 1994; 126(6):1509-26. PMC: 2290958. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.126.6.1509. View

19.

Saito R, Tabata Y, Muto A, Arai K, Watanabe S . Melk-like kinase plays a role in hematopoiesis in the zebra fish. Mol Cell Biol. 2005; 25(15):6682-93. PMC: 1190327. DOI: 10.1128/MCB.25.15.6682-6693.2005. View

20.

Whitfield M, Sherlock G, Saldanha A, Murray J, Ball C, Alexander K . Identification of genes periodically expressed in the human cell cycle and their expression in tumors. Mol Biol Cell. 2002; 13(6):1977-2000. PMC: 117619. DOI: 10.1091/mbc.02-02-0030. View