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HURP permits MTOC sorting for robust meiotic spindle bipolarity, similar to extra centrosome clustering in cancer

Manuel Breuer1, Agnieszka Kolano, Mijung Kwon

  • 1Unité Mixte de Recherche 7622, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.

The Journal of Cell Biology
|December 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Hepatoma up-regulated protein (Hurp) is crucial for organizing microtubule (MT) structures during female meiosis. Hurp ensures spindle bipolarity and chromosome alignment, essential for successful oocyte division and fertility.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Acentric meiotic spindle formation requires organized microtubules (MTs) and MT-organizing centers (MTOCs) into a bipolar structure.
  • The molecular mechanisms governing this process remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Hepatoma Up-regulated protein (Hurp) in meiotic spindle assembly and oocyte division.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which Hurp contributes to spindle bipolarity and chromosome congression.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized hepatoma up-regulated protein (Hurp) knockout mice to study female sterility and defective oocyte divisions.
  • Investigated the localization and function of HURP on interpolar MTs using Kinesin-5 activity.

Main Results:

  • Hurp knockout mice exhibit impaired meiotic spindle formation and are female sterile.
  • HURP accumulates on interpolar MTs near chromosomes, promoting MT stability in the spindle central domain.
  • HURP facilitates efficient MTOC sorting for bipolarity establishment and maintenance, and clustering of extra centrosomes.

Conclusions:

  • HURP is essential for meiotic spindle assembly, acting as a scaffold for a robust bipolar structure supporting chromosome congression.
  • HURP plays a conserved role in MTOC sorting, crucial for both mammalian meiosis and cancer cell division.

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