Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Meiotic Spindle Assessment in Mouse Oocytes by siRNA-mediated Silencing
09:16

Meiotic Spindle Assessment in Mouse Oocytes by siRNA-mediated Silencing

Published on: October 11, 2015

Depletion of CPAP by RNAi disrupts centrosome integrity and induces multipolar spindles

Jun-Hung Cho1, Chih-Jui Chang, Chiung-Ya Chen

  • 1Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|December 1, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Centrosome-associated protein P (CPAP) is crucial for maintaining cell division. Depleting CPAP causes mitotic arrest, apoptosis, and abnormal spindle poles, highlighting its role in centrosome integrity.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Microtubules are essential components of the cellular cytoskeleton.
  • Centrosome integrity is vital for accurate cell division.
  • CPAP is a protein involved in microtubule dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function of CPAP in human cells.
  • To understand the role of CPAP in mitosis and spindle formation.

Main Methods:

  • siRNA-mediated knockdown of CPAP expression in human cells.
  • Microscopy to observe cell cycle progression and spindle morphology.
  • Inhibition of kinesin Eg5 to study spindle pole formation.

Main Results:

  • CPAP depletion led to mitotic arrest and apoptosis.
  • Over 40% of CPAP-depleted cells exhibited multipolar spindles.
  • Eg5 inhibition in CPAP-depleted cells resulted in monopolar spindles.

Conclusions:

  • CPAP plays a critical structural role in maintaining centrosome integrity.
  • CPAP is essential for normal spindle morphology during cell division.
  • Eg5 is required for multipolar spindle formation when CPAP is absent.

More Related Videos

Generation of Centromere-Associated Protein-E CENP-E-/- Knockout Cell Lines using the CRISPR/Cas9 System11:49

Generation of Centromere-Associated Protein-E CENP-E-/- Knockout Cell Lines using the CRISPR/Cas9 System

Published on: June 23, 2023

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes09:39

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Published on: December 20, 2014

Related Concept Videos

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint02:19

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
Centrosome Duplication02:25

Centrosome Duplication

The primary microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in animal cells is the centrosome. A centrosome has two cylindrical centrioles at its core. Each centriole consists of nine sets of three microtubules held together by proteins. The centrioles are positioned at right angles to each other and surrounded by a shapeless protein cloud called the pericentriolar matrix, or pericentriolar material (PCM).
To ensure that each daughter cell receives a centrosome after cell division, centrosome duplication...
Centrosome Duplication02:25

Centrosome Duplication

The primary microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in animal cells is the centrosome. A centrosome has two cylindrical centrioles at its core. Each centriole consists of nine sets of three microtubules held together by proteins. The centrioles are positioned at right angles to each other and surrounded by a shapeless protein cloud called the pericentriolar matrix, or pericentriolar material (PCM).
To ensure that each daughter cell receives a centrosome after cell division, centrosome duplication...
Separation of Sister Chromatids02:17

Separation of Sister Chromatids

At the transition from prophase to metaphase, there is a reduction in cohesion along the chromosomal arms, resulting in the resolution of sister chromatids. However, residual cohesin connections remain to hold the sister chromatids together until the transition from metaphase to anaphase. The residual connection prevents any premature separation of sister chromatids, blocking the risks of aneuploidy within the daughter cells.
At the onset of anaphase, separase, a proteolytic enzyme, is...
Spindle Assembly02:50

Spindle Assembly

Spindle assembly occurs through three, often coexisting, pathways – the centrosome-mediated pathway, the chromatin-mediated pathway, and the microtubule-mediated pathway – collectively contributing to form a robust spindle apparatus.
In most cells, centrosomes are the primary microtubule nucleation centers. In the centrosome-mediated pathway, the G2-prophase transition triggers centrosome maturation and increased microtubule nucleation. Progressive nucleation results in a microtubule array...