Bouck David C, Joglekar Ajit P, Bloom Kerry S
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3280, USA.
Annu Rev Genet. 2008;42:335-59. doi: 10.1146/annurev.genet.42.110807.091620.
Accurate segregation of duplicated chromosomes ensures that daughter cells get one and only one copy of each chromosome. Errors in chromosome segregation result in aneuploidy and have severe consequences on human health. Incorrect chromosome number and chromosomal instability are hallmarks of tumor cells. Hence, segregation errors are thought to be a major cause of tumorigenesis. A study of the physical mechanical basis of chromosome segregation is essential to understand the processes that can lead to errors. Tremendous progress has been made in recent years in identifying the proteins necessary for chromosome movement and segregation, but the mechanism and structure of critical force generating components and the molecular basis of centromere stiffness remain poorly understood.
重复染色体的精确分离可确保子细胞获得每条染色体的一个且仅一个拷贝。染色体分离错误会导致非整倍体,并对人类健康造成严重后果。染色体数目错误和染色体不稳定性是肿瘤细胞的标志。因此,分离错误被认为是肿瘤发生的主要原因。对染色体分离的物理力学基础进行研究对于理解可能导致错误的过程至关重要。近年来,在确定染色体移动和分离所需的蛋白质方面取得了巨大进展,但关键力产生成分的机制和结构以及着丝粒刚度的分子基础仍知之甚少。