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Published December 1998 | public
Journal Article

Mouse polo-like kinase 1 associates with the acentriolar spindle poles, meiotic chromosomes and spindle midzone during oocyte maturation

Abstract

We have examined the dynamics of the localisation of the polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) during maturation of the mouse oocyte. Levels of Plk1 protein increase following germinal vesicle breakdown, at which time the enzyme begins to accumulate at discrete positions on the condensing chromosomes and, subsequently, at the poles of the meiotic spindle, which moves towards the cortex of the egg. Interestingly, at metaphase in both meiotic divisions, Plk1 shows a punctate localisation along the broad spindle poles. Moreover, the punctate distribution of Plk1 on the meiotic chromosomes appears at early anaphase to correspond to the centromeric regions. The protein relocates to the spindle midzone during late anaphase and then associates with the midbody at telophase. We have confirmed the specific pattern of immuno-localisation seen in fixed preparations by observing the distribution of Plk1 tagged with green fluorescent protein in living oocytes. We discuss the localisation of the enzyme in light of the structure of the spindle poles, which are known to lack centrioles, and the highly asymmetric nature of the meiotic divisions.

Additional Information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1998. Received: 8 August 1998 / Accepted: 13 September 1998. We would like to thank Warren Jelinek for the gift of clone SPTK13 (cDNA for Plk1). This work was supported by project grants from the CRC and BBSRC. M.Z.G. is a Lister Senior Research Fellow.

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023