The Ski oncoprotein is upregulated and localized at the centrosomes and mitotic spindle during mitosis

Ski is an oncoprotein that represses transforming growth factor-beta and nuclear receptor signaling. Despite evidence that relates increased Ski protein levels directly with tumor progression in human cells, the signaling pathways that regulate Ski expression are mostly unidentified. Here we show that the Ski protein levels vary throughout the cell cycle, being lowest at G0/G1. This reduction in Ski protein levels results from proteosomal degradation as suggested by in vivo ubiquitination of Ski and the effects of proteosomal inhibitors. In contrast, an upregulation of the Ski protein was observed in cells going through mitosis. At this stage, we also found that Ski is phosphorylated. In vitro and in vivo data suggest that the phosphorylation of Ski in mitosis is carried out by the main kinase controlling the progression of mitosis, namely cdc2/cyclinB. Interestingly, immunofluorescence experiments, supported by biochemical data, show not only an increase in the Ski protein levels, but also a dramatic redistribution of Ski to the centrosomes and mitotic spindle throughout mitosis. Studies to date on Ski have focused on its role as a transcriptional regulator. However, Ski's increased level and specific relocalization during mitosis suggest that Ski might play a distinct role during this particular phase of the cell cycle.