Dictyostelium centrin B localization during cell cycle progression

Recently, we have reported the initial characterization of a novel centrin from Dictyostelium discoideum (DdCenB).1 Sequence and phylogenetic analyses clearly establish DdCenB as a centrin, yet further characterization revealed some interesting peculiarities about this novel centrin. Figure 1 depicts the localization of DdCenB at three points in the cell cycle: interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis. In interphase DdCenB primarily localizes to the nuclear envelope (NE). Although the NE remains intact during mitosis and cytokinesis in Dictyostelium, DdCenB disappears from the NE at these two stages of the cell cycle. In addition to localization at the NE, we also see weak localization in the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm (weakest). Although the nucleoplasmic concentration appears constant throughout the cell cycle, the very faint localization in the cytoplasm does appear to increase to the level of the nucleoplasm during mitosis and cytokinesis. Unlike most centrins characterized to date, we found no evidence of DdCenB at the centrosome at any point in the cell cycle. Here we examine the importance of DdCenB localization in cell cycle progression, as well as several other roles.