Аннотация:AbstractThe fidelity of chromosome segregation during cell division is critical to maintaingenomic stability and to prevent cancer and birth defects. A key set of kinases that regulates thisprocess has been identified and characterized over the last few years, including the Aurora, Poloand Nek families. Recently we proposed that a little-studied kinase known as haspin is a newmember of this important group. During mitosis haspin is phosphorylated, associates with thechromosomes, centrosomes and spindle, and is responsible for phosphorylation of histone H3 atthreonine-3. Depletion of haspin using RNA interference prevents normal alignment ofchromosomes at metaphase, suggesting that haspin plays a crucial role in chromosomesegregation. Here we discuss possible mechanisms of haspin action and the function of histonephosphorylation in mitosis. We also outline some of the questions raised by these new findingsand consider what role haspin might play in cancer.
