Aurora B -TACC1 protein complex in cytokinesis

Abstract

Taxins are a family of centrosomal proteins important for the regulation of mitosis and microtubule dynamics. Cytokinesis, the last step of M phase, is essential for chromosomal integrity and cell division. It is highly regulated and involves a reorganization of microtubules and actin filaments. We show here that TACC1 localizes diffusely to the midzone spindle in anaphase and strongly to the midbody during cytokinesis, indicating a possible involvement of this protein in the exit of M phase. TACC1 also relocalizes to the nucleolus in interphase. We demonstrate that TACC1 and the mitotic kinase Aurora B belong to the same complex during cytokinesis. We further show that Aurora B knocked down by RNA-mediated interference prevents the formation of the midbody – and consequently affects TACC1 localization at this site – and leads to abnormal cell division and multinucleated cells.