Abstract
We previously identified cancer-upregulated gene 2 (CUG2) as a commonly up-regulated gene in various human cancer tissues, especially in ovary, liver, and lung (Lee et al., 2007a). CUG2 was determined to be a nuclear protein that exhibited high proto-oncogenic activities when overexpressed in NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. To identify other cellular functions of CUG2, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening and identified CENP-T, a component of CENP-A nucleosome complex in the centromere, as an interacting partner of CUG2. Moreover, CENP-A, the principle centromeric determinant, was also found in complex with CENP-T/CUG2. Immunofluorescent staining revealed the co-localization of CUG2 with human centromeric markers. Inhibition of CUG2 expression drastically affected cell viability by inducing aberrant cell division. We propose that CUG2 is a new component of the human centromeric complex that is required for proper chromosome segregation during mitosis.
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Kim, H., Lee, M., Lee, S. et al. Cancer-upregulated gene 2 (CUG2), a new component of centromere complex, is required for kinetochore function. Mol Cells 27, 697–701 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10059-009-0083-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10059-009-0083-2