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The CDC-14 phosphatase controls developmental cell-cycle arrest in C. elegans

R Mako Saito1, Audrey Perreault, Bethan Peach

  • 1Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Building 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA.

Nature Cell Biology
|July 13, 2004
PubMed

Insights

The cdc-14 phosphatase in C. elegans controls cell division timing, promoting developmental cell-cycle arrest. It ensures precursor cells enter a quiescent state by stabilizing the CKI-1 inhibitor.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Cycle Regulation
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Precise temporal control of cell division is essential for animal development.
  • Understanding mechanisms of developmental cell-cycle arrest is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify genes regulating developmental cell-cycle arrest in C. elegans.
  • To elucidate the role of the cdc-14 phosphatase in cell division timing.

Main Methods:

  • Screening for cell-cycle mutants in C. elegans.
  • Analyzing the function of cdc-14 phosphatase through genetic interactions and GFP tagging.
  • Investigating the interaction between cdc-14 and the cki-1 inhibitor.

Main Results:

  • cdc-14 is required for the quiescent state of specific precursor cells.
  • cdc-14 inactivation leads to extra cell divisions without affecting mitosis or cell fate.
  • CDC-14 promotes nuclear accumulation of the CKI-1 inhibitor.

Conclusions:

  • CDC-14 acts upstream of CKI-1 to promote developmentally programmed cell-cycle arrest.
  • CDC-14 stabilizes CKI-1, leading to a hypophosphorylated state required for cell quiescence.

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