Identification of centrosome kinases

Nek2A kinase stimulates centrosome disjunction and is required for formation of bipolar mitotic spindles

Nek2A is a cell cycle-regulated kinase of the never in mitosis A (NIMA) family that is highly enriched at the centrosome. One model for Nek2A function proposes that it regulates cohesion between the mother and daughter centriole through phosphorylation of C-Nap1, a large coiled-coil protein that localizes to centriolar ends. Phosphorylation of C-Nap1 at the G2/M transition may trigger its displacement from centrioles, promoting their separation and subsequent bipolar spindle formation. To test this model, we generated tetracycline-inducible cell lines overexpressing wild-type and kinase-dead versions of Nek2A. Live cell imaging revealed that active Nek2A stimulates the sustained splitting of interphase centrioles indicative of loss of cohesion. However, this splitting is accompanied by only a partial reduction in centriolar C-Nap1. Strikingly, induction of kinase-dead Nek2A led to formation of monopolar spindles with unseparated spindle poles that lack C-Nap1. Furthermore, kinase-dead Nek2A interfered with chromosome segregation and cytokinesis and led to an overall change in the DNA content of the cell population. These results provide the first direct evidence in human cells that Nek2A function is required for the correct execution of mitosis, most likely through promotion of centrosome disjunction. However, they suggest that loss of centriole cohesion and C-Nap1 displacement may be distinct mitotic events.

The Nek2 protein kinase: a novel regulator of centrosome structure

Regulation of the centrosome, the major microtubule organizing centre in an animal cell, is in large part controlled by cell cycle-dependent protein phosphorylation. Along with cyclin dependent kinases, polo kinases and Aurora kinases, NIMA-related kinases are emerging as critical regulators of centrosome structure and function. Nek2 is the most closely related vertebrate protein by sequence to the essential mitotic regulator NIMA of Aspergillus nidulans. Nek2 is highly enriched at the centrosome and functional studies in human and Xenopus systems support a role for Nek2 in both maintenance and modulation of centrosome architecture. In particular, current evidence supports a model in which one function of Nek2 kinase activity is to promote the splitting of duplicated centrosomes at the onset of mitosis through phosphorylation of core centriolar proteins. Recent studies in lower organisms have raised the possibility that kinases related to Nek2 may have conserved functions in MTOC organization, as well as in other aspects of mitotic progression.

Alternative splice variants of the human centrosome kinase Nek2 exhibit distinct patterns of expression in mitosis

Nek2 is a cell-cycle-regulated protein kinase that localizes to the centrosome and is likely to be involved in regulating centrosome structure at the G(2)/M transition. Here, we localize the functional human Nek2 gene to chromosome 1 and show that alternative polyadenylation signals provide a mechanism for generating two distinct isoforms. Sequencing of products generated by reverse transcriptase PCR, immunoblotting of cell extracts and transfection of antisense oligonucleotides together demonstrate that human Nek2 is expressed as two splice variants. These isoforms, designated Nek2A and Nek2B, are detected in primary blood lymphocytes as well as adult transformed cells. Nek2A and Nek2B, which can form homo- and hetero-dimers, both localize to the centrosome, although only Nek2A can induce centrosome splitting upon overexpression. Importantly, Nek2A and Nek2B exhibit distinct patterns of cell-cycle-dependent expression. Both are present in low amounts in the G(1) phase and exhibit increased abundance in the S and G(2) phases. However, Nek2A disappears in prometaphase-arrested cells, whereas Nek2B remains elevated. These results demonstrate that two alternative splice variants of the human centrosomal kinase Nek2 exist that differ in their expression patterns during mitosis. This has important implications for our understanding of both Nek2 protein kinase regulation and the control of centrosome structure during mitosis.