Dynamic association of the mammalian insulator protein CTCF with centrosomes and the midbody

CTCF is a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed DNA-binding protein that has widespread capabilities in gene regulation. CTCF plays important roles in cell growth regulatory processes and epigenetic functions. Ectopic expression of CTCF results in severe cell growth inhibition at multiple points within the cell cycle, indicating that CTCF levels must be stringently monitored. We have investigated the subcellular localization of CTCF in detail. Interestingly, we observe that CTCF shows a dynamic cell cycle-dependent distribution. Immunofluorescent staining reveals that in interphase CTCF is a nuclear protein, which is mainly excluded from the nucleolus. Strikingly, CTCF is associated with the centrosome during mitosis, especially from metaphase to anaphase. At telophase, CTCF dissociates from the centrosome and localizes to the midbody and the reformed nuclei. The association of CTCF with centrosomes and the midbody is further confirmed by biochemical fractionation. Moreover, subcellular fractions of CTCF show cell cycle and organelle-specific posttranslational modifications, suggesting different roles for CTCF at different stages of the cell cycle.