During cell division, chromosomes that carry genetic information are segregated equally to each daughter cell by an intracellular machinery called "mitotic spindle". A research group led by Professor Asako Sugimoto at Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University and Research Fellow Mika Toya at RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology have revealed through molecular imaging analysis of embryos of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as model systems that it is important for the assembly of mitotic spindle that a protein called Aurora A stabilizes microtubules, which are primary components of mitotic spindle. This achievement is expected to be applied to the treatment for cancer. The research result has been published online in Nature Cell Biology on May 15, 2011. The paper's title is "A kinase-independent role for Aurora A in the assembly of mitotic spindle microtubules in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos".

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[Contact]

Professor Asako Sugimoto

Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics

Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-217-6194

E-mail: asugimoto*m.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)