Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activity is not required in mammalian cells during late G2 for timely entry into or exit from mitosis

Mio Shinohara, Alexei V. Mikhailov, Julio A. Aguirre-Ghiso, Conly L. Rieder

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 activity is reported to be required in mammalian cells for timely entry into and exit from mitosis (i.e., the G2-mitosis [G2/M] and metaphase-anaphase [M/A] transitions). However, it is unclear whether this involvement reflects a direct requirement for ERK1/2 activity during these transitions or for activating gene transcription programs at earlier stages of the cell cycle. To examine these possibilities, we followed live cells in which ERK1/2 activity was inhibited through late G2 and mitosis. We find that acute inhibition of ERK1/2 during late G2 and through mitosis does not affect the timing of the G2/M or M/A. transitions in normal or transformed human cells, nor does it impede spindle assembly, inactivate the p38 stress-activated checkpoint during late G2 or the spindle assembly checkpoint during mitosis. Using CENP-F as a marker for progress through G2, we also show that sustained inhibition of ERK1/2 transiently delays the cell cycle in early/mid-G2 via a p53-dependent mechanism. Together, our data reveal that ERK1/2 activity is required in early G2 for a timely entry into mitosis but that it does not directly regulate cell cycle progression from late G2 through mitosis in normal or transformed mammalian cells.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)5227-5240
Number of pages14
JournalMolecular biology of the cell
Volume17
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2006
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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