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Updated: Apr 24, 2026

Studying Cell Cycle-regulated Gene Expression by Two Complementary Cell Synchronization Protocols
Published on: June 6, 2017
Transient expression of RAD51 in the late G2-phase is required for cell cycle progression in synchronous Physarum
Anthony Le Cigne1, Vanessa Menil-Philippot, Fabrice Fleury
1Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques, UFIP UMR CNRS 6286 & Université de Nantes, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France; Division of Mechanism and Regulation of DNA Repair, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques, UFIP UMR CNRS 6286 & Université de Nantes, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France; Division of Epigenetics: Proliferation and Differentiation, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques, UFIP UMR CNRS 6286 & Université de Nantes, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France.
Abstract:
The homologous recombination factor RAD51 is highly conserved. This criterion enabled us to identify a RAD51 ortholog in Physarum polycephalum. We found that the Physarum protein presents a high homology to the human protein and cross-reacted with antibodies directed against the human RAD51. Taking advantage of the natural synchrony of millions of nuclei within a single cell of Physarum, we investigated the fluctuation of the amount of the PpRAD51 throughout the cell cycle. Our results showed that in the late G2-phase, RAD51 was transiently expressed in a large quantity. Furthermore, knocking-down RAD51 in the G2-phase abolished this transient expression before mitosis and affected cell cycle progression. These results support the idea that RAD51 plays a role in the progression of the cell cycle in the late G2-phase.
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