Evidence Of RNA In Structures Essential To Cell Division Found By LSUHSC Researc

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Evidence Of RNA In Structures Essential To Cell Division Found By

LSUHSC Research

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=45149

Research led by Mark Alliegro, PhD, Professor of Cell Biology and

Anatomy at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New

Orleans, provides evidence for the first time that centrosomes, which

play a key role in cell division, may carry their own genetic

machinery, answering a controversial question of long standing. Dr.

Alliegro found five RNA sequences that appear to be unique to the

centrosome. The discovery, providing new insight into centrosome

function, heredity, and evolution is published in today's issue of

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research team

included Anne Alliegro, a Research Associate at LSU Health

Sciences Center at New Orleans, and Palazzo, PhD, Professor of

Biology and Director of the Center for

Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic

Institute. The research was conducted at the Marine Biological

Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.

Studying surf clam eggs, the research team focused on centrosomes,

small areas of cytoplasm that serve an organizational purpose which

not only assures proper cell division, but also genetic stability.

The most recent review of the question of whether or not centrosomes

contain nucleic acids concluded that there is no evidence of DNA, but

the presence of RNA, although controversial, was still an open

question. RNA is the nucleic acid that governs protein synthesis as

well as the transmission of genetic material.

Using a technique he developed, Dr. Palazzo isolated relatively large

quantities of centrosomes from the clam eggs. The Alliegros, using

highly sophisticated techniques they developed, extracted a set of

RNAs called cnRNAs, demonstrating their association with centrosomes

biochemically and in situ. Exhaustive database analysis revealed no

matches to known nucleotides, translated nucleotide, or predicted

protein sequences, founding the conclusion that they are unique and

intrinsic to the centrosome.

" The implications are broad and I expect there will be lively

discussion on their meaning for topics from cell division to

eukaryotic evolution, " says Dr. Mark Alliegro. " At this point we know

very little about their function or origins, but we are confident

they represent a special set of transcripts. "

Centrosome irregularities have been linked to malignancies, so the

discovery may also be applicable to cancer research.

" The next step will be to determine what role these RNAs might play

in centrosome replication, the cell cycle, or the development of

organisms, " concludes Dr. Alliegro.