Drosophila splicing factor SF2 knock-down mutant shows altered cell-cycle in vivo

• Published in: Cell biology international Vol. 37; no. 2; pp. 187 - 190
• Main Authors: Dubatolova, Tatiana D., Volkova, Elena I., Omelyanchuk, Leonid V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2013
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Cycle; Cell Division - genetics; cell-cycle phases; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; flow cytometry; G2 Phase - genetics; Gene Silencing; mosaic clone analysis; Mutation; RNA Interference; RNA Splicing Factors; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 1065-6995; 1095-8355
• DOI: 10.1002/cbin.10019

Pioneering single gene study documents pre‐mRNA processing proteins participation in the cell‐cycle regulation of multi‐cellular animals (Andersen and Tapon, 2008, J Biol Chem 283: 31256–67). Whole‐genome RNAi screen in Drosophila tissue‐culture cell lines demonstrates that 17 genes involved in RNA‐processing are required for G2/M check‐point function (Kondo and Perrimon, 2011, Sci Signal 4: rs1). In particular, the silencing of Splicing Factor 2 (SF2) increases the number of G2(M) cells. We have measured the absolute duration of cell‐cycle phases in SF2 depleted flies with the use of flow cytometry and growth parameters of GFP marked mosaic clones. For SF2 mutant cells, G1 = 1.89 h, G2(M) = 7.22 h and S = 1.30 h compared with G1 = 2.25 h, G2(M) = 4.86 h and S = 1.28 h for control normal cells. Thus, G2(M) phase appears to be longer in SF2 silenced cells, supporting the evidence that this splicing protein participates in G2‐M check‐point function.