The zebra fish cassiopeia mutant reveals that SIL is required for mitotic spindle organization

STIL is required for centriole duplication in human cells

Centrioles are key structural elements of centrosomes and primary cilia. In mammals, only a few proteins including PLK4, CPAP (CENPJ), SAS6, CEP192, CEP152 and CEP135 have thus far been identified to be required for centriole duplication. STIL (SCL/TAL1 interrupting locus, also known as SIL) is a centrosomal protein that is essential for mouse and zebrafish embryonic development and mutated in primary microcephaly. Here, we show that STIL localizes to the pericentriolar material surrounding parental centrioles. Its overexpression results in excess centriole formation. siRNA-mediated depletion of STIL leads to loss of centrioles and abrogates PLK4-induced centriole overduplication. Additionally, we show that STIL is necessary for SAS6 recruitment to centrioles, suggesting that it is essential for daughter centriole formation, interacts with the centromere protein CPAP and rapidly shuttles between the cytoplasm and centrioles. Consistent with the requirement of centrioles for cilia formation, Stil(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts lack primary cilia--a phenotype that can be reverted by restoration of STIL expression. These findings demonstrate that STIL is an essential component of the centriole replication machinery in mammalian cells.

Spindle positioning in human cells relies on proper centriole formation and on the microcephaly proteins CPAP and STIL

Patients with MCPH (autosomal recessive primary microcephaly) exhibit impaired brain development, presumably due to the compromised function of neuronal progenitors. Seven MCPH loci have been identified, including one that encodes centrosome protein 4.1 associated protein (CPAP; also known as centromere protein J, CENPJ). CPAP is a large coiled-coil protein enriched at the centrosome, a structure that comprises two centrioles and surrounding pericentriolar material (PCM). CPAP depletion impairs centriole formation, whereas CPAP overexpression results in overly long centrioles. The mechanisms by which CPAP MCPH patient mutations affect brain development are not clear. Here, we identify CPAP protein domains crucial for its centriolar localization, as well as for the elongation and the formation of centrioles. Furthermore, we demonstrate that conditions that resemble CPAP MCPH patient mutations compromise centriole formation in tissue culture cells. Using adhesive micropatterns, we reveal that such defects correlate with a randomization of spindle position. Moreover, we demonstrate that the MCPH protein SCL/TAL1 interrupting locus (STIL) is also essential for centriole formation and for proper spindle position. Our findings are compatible with the notion that mutations in CPAP and STIL cause MCPH because of aberrant spindle positioning in progenitor cells during brain development.

The human microcephaly protein STIL interacts with CPAP and is required for procentriole formation

Centriole duplication involves the growth of a procentriole next to the parental centriole. Mutations in STIL and CPAP/CENPJ cause primary microcephaly (MCPH). Here, we show that human STIL has an asymmetric localization to the daughter centriole and is required for procentriole formation. STIL levels oscillate during the cell cycle. Interestingly, STIL interacts directly with CPAP and forms a complex with hSAS6. A natural mutation of CPAP (E1235V) that causes MCPH in humans leads to significantly lower binding to STIL. Overexpression of STIL induced the formation of multiple procentrioles around the parental centriole. STIL depletion inhibited normal centriole duplication, Plk4-induced centriole amplification, and CPAP-induced centriole elongation, and resulted in a failure to localize hSAS6 and CPAP to the base of the nascent procentriole. Furthermore, hSAS6 depletion hindered STIL targeting to the procentriole, implying that STIL and hSAS6 are mutually dependent for their centriolar localization. Together, our results indicate that the two MCPH-associated proteins STIL and CPAP interact with each other and are required for procentriole formation, implying a central role of centriole biogenesis in MCPH.

VIP blockade leads to microcephaly in mice via disruption of Mcph1-Chk1 signaling

Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a genetic disorder that causes a reduction of cortical outgrowth without severe interference with cortical patterning. It is associated with mutations in a number of genes encoding protein involved in mitotic spindle formation and centrosomal activities or cell cycle control. We have shown previously that blocking vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) during gestation in mice by using a VIP antagonist (VA) results in microcephaly. Here, we have shown that the cortical abnormalities caused by prenatal VA administration mimic the phenotype described in MCPH patients and that VIP blockade during neurogenesis specifically disrupts Mcph1 signaling. VA administration reduced neuroepithelial progenitor proliferation by increasing cell cycle length and promoting cell cycle exit and premature neuronal differentiation. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot showed that VA downregulated Mcph1. Inhibition of Mcph1 expression led to downregulation of Chk1 and reduction of Chk1 kinase activity. The inhibition of Mcph1 and Chk1 affected the expression of a specific subset of cell cycle–controlling genes and turned off neural stem cell proliferation in neurospheres. Furthermore, in vitro silencing of either Mcph1 or Chk1 in neurospheres mimicked VA-induced inhibition of cell proliferation. These results demonstrate that VIP blockade induces microcephaly through Mcph1 signaling and suggest that VIP/Mcph1/Chk1 signaling is key for normal cortical development.

Functional analysis of the microtubule-interacting transcriptome

A combination of bioinformatic and RNA interference analysis of Xenopus tropicalis RNA-seq data shows that the identification of microtubule-associated (MT) mRNAs can be used for discovering novel factors in the processes of spindle pole organization and centrosome structure. MT-RNAs are likely to contribute to spindle-localized mitotic translation.

RNA localization is an important mechanism for achieving precise control of posttranscriptional gene expression. Previously, we demonstrated that a subset of cellular mRNAs copurify with mitotic microtubules in egg extracts of Xenopus laevis. Due to limited genomic sequence information available for X. laevis, we used RNA-seq to comprehensively identify the microtubule-interacting transcriptome of the related frog Xenopus tropicalis. We identified ∼450 mRNAs that showed significant enrichment on microtubules (MT-RNAs). In addition, we demonstrated that the MT-RNAs incenp, xrhamm, and tpx2 associate with spindle microtubules in vivo. MT-RNAs are enriched with transcripts associated with cell division, spindle formation, and chromosome function, demonstrating an overrepresentation of genes involved in mitotic regulation. To test whether uncharacterized MT-RNAs have a functional role in mitosis, we performed RNA interference and discovered that several MT-RNAs are required for normal spindle pole organization and γ-tubulin distribution. Together, these data demonstrate that microtubule association is one mechanism for compartmentalizing functionally related mRNAs within the nucleocytoplasmic space of mitotic cells and suggest that MT-RNAs are likely to contribute to spindle-localized mitotic translation.

PP2A phosphatase acts upon SAS-5 to ensure centriole formation in C. elegans embryos

Centrosome duplication occurs once per cell cycle and ensures that the two resulting centrosomes assemble a bipolar mitotic spindle. Centriole formation is fundamental for centrosome duplication. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the evolutionarily conserved proteins SPD-2, ZYG-1, SAS-6, SAS-5, and SAS-4 are essential for centriole formation, but how they function is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is also critical for centriole formation in C. elegans embryos. We find that PP2A subunits genetically and physically interact with the SAS-5/SAS-6 complex. Furthermore, we show that PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation promotes centriolar targeting of SAS-5 and ensures SAS-6 delivery to the site of centriole assembly. We find that PP2A is similarly needed for the presence of HsSAS-6 at centrioles and for centriole formation in human cells. These findings lead us to propose that PP2A-mediated loading of SAS-6 proteins is critical at the onset of centriole formation.

Autosomal Recessive Primary Microcephaly (MCPH): clinical manifestations, genetic heterogeneity and mutation continuum

Autosomal Recessive Primary Microcephaly (MCPH) is a rare disorder of neurogenic mitosis characterized by reduced head circumference at birth with variable degree of mental retardation. In MCPH patients, brain size reduced to almost one-third of its original volume due to reduced number of generated cerebral cortical neurons during embryonic neurogensis. So far, seven genetic loci (MCPH1-7) for this condition have been mapped with seven corresponding genes (MCPH1, WDR62, CDK5RAP2, CEP152, ASPM, CENPJ, and STIL) identified from different world populations. Contribution of ASPM and WDR62 gene mutations in MCPH World wide is more than 50%. By and large, primary microcephaly patients are phenotypically indistinguishable, however, recent studies in patients with mutations in MCPH1, WDR62 and ASPM genes showed a broader clinical and/or cellular phenotype. It has been proposed that mutations in MCPH genes can cause the disease phenotype by disturbing: 1) orientation of mitotic spindles, 2) chromosome condensation mechanism during embryonic neurogenesis, 3) DNA damage-response signaling, 4) transcriptional regulations and microtubule dynamics, 5) certain unknown centrosomal mechanisms that control the number of neurons generated by neural precursor cells. Recent discoveries of mammalian models for MCPH have open up horizons for researchers to add more knowledge regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of MCPH. High incidence of MCPH in Pakistani population reflects the most probable involvement of consanguinity. Genetic counseling and clinical management through carrier detection/prenatal diagnosis in MCPH families can help reducing the incidence of this autosomal recessive disorder.

Angelman syndrome protein UBE3A interacts with primary microcephaly protein ASPM, localizes to centrosomes and regulates chromosome segregation

Many proteins associated with the phenotype microcephaly have been localized to the centrosome or linked to it functionally. All the seven autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) proteins localize at the centrosome. Microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II protein PCNT and Seckel syndrome (also characterized by severe microcephaly) protein ATR are also centrosomal proteins. All of the above findings show the importance of centrosomal proteins as the key players in neurogenesis and brain development. However, the exact mechanism as to how the loss-of-function of these proteins leads to microcephaly remains to be elucidated. To gain insight into the function of the most commonly mutated MCPH gene ASPM, we used the yeast two-hybrid technique to screen a human fetal brain cDNA library with an ASPM bait. The analysis identified Angelman syndrome gene product UBE3A as an ASPM interactor. Like ASPM, UBE3A also localizes to the centrosome. The identification of UBE3A as an ASPM interactor is not surprising as more than 80% of Angelman syndrome patients have microcephaly. However, unlike in MCPH, microcephaly is postnatal in Angelman syndrome patients. Our results show that UBE3A is a cell cycle regulated protein and its level peaks in mitosis. The shRNA knockdown of UBE3A in HEK293 cells led to many mitotic abnormalities including chromosome missegregation, abnormal cytokinesis and apoptosis. Thus our study links Angelman syndrome protein UBE3A to ASPM, centrosome and mitosis for the first time. We suggest that a defective chromosome segregation mechanism is responsible for the development of microcephaly in Angelman syndrome.

Mutations in WDR62, encoding a centrosomal and nuclear protein, in Indian primary microcephaly families with cortical malformations

Primary microcephaly is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by smaller than normal brain size and mental retardation. It is genetically heterogeneous with seven loci: MCPH1-MCPH7. We have previously reported genetic analysis of 35 families, including the identification of the MCPH7 gene STIL. Of the 35 families, three families showed linkage to the MCPH2 locus. Recent whole-exome sequencing studies have shown that the WDR62 gene, located in the MCPH2 candidate region, is mutated in patients with severe brain malformations. We therefore sequenced the WDR62 gene in our MCPH2 families and identified two novel homozygous protein truncating mutations in two families. Affected individuals in the two families had pachygyria, microlissencephaly, band heterotopias, gyral thickening, and dysplastic cortex. Using immunofluorescence study, we showed that, as with other MCPH proteins, WDR62 localizes to centrosomes in A549, HepG2, and HaCaT cells. In addition, WDR62 was also localized to nucleoli. Bioinformatics analysis predicted two overlapping nuclear localization signals and multiple WD-40 repeats in WDR62. Two other groups have also recently identified WDR62 mutations in MCPH2 families. Our results therefore add further evidence that WDR62 is the MCPH2 gene. The present findings will be helpful in genetic diagnosis of patients linked to the MCPH2 locus.

Tumor suppressor Lzap regulates cell cycle progression, doming, and zebrafish epiboly

Initial stages of embryonic development rely on rapid, synchronized cell divisions of the fertilized egg followed by a set of morphogenetic movements collectively called epiboly and gastrulation. Lzap is a putative tumor suppressor whose expression is lost in 30% of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Lzap activities include regulation of cell cycle progression and response to therapeutic agents. Here, we explore developmental roles of the lzap gene during zebrafish morphogenesis. Lzap is highly conserved among vertebrates and is maternally deposited. Expression is initially ubiquitous during gastrulation, and later becomes more prominent in the pharyngeal arches, digestive tract, and brain. Antisense morpholino-mediated depletion of Lzap resulted in delayed cell divisions and apoptosis during blastomere formation, resulting in fewer, larger cells. Cell cycle analysis suggested that Lzap loss in early embryonic cells resulted in a G2/M arrest. Furthermore, the Lzap-deficient embryos failed to initiate epiboly--the earliest morphogenetic movement in animal development--which has been shown to be dependent on cell adhesion and migration of epithelial sheets. Our results strongly implicate Lzap in regulation of cell cycle progression, adhesion and migratory activity of epithelial cell sheets during early development. These functions provide further insight into Lzap activity that may contribute not only to development, but also to tumor formation.

Building the centriole

Centrioles are conserved microtubule-based organelles that lie at the core of the animal centrosome and play a crucial role in nucleating the formation of cilia and flagella in most eukaryotes. Centrioles have a complex ultrastructure with ninefold symmetry and a well-defined length. This structure is assembled from a host of proteins, including a variety of disease gene products. Over a century after the discovery of centrioles, the mechanisms underlying the assembly of these fascinating organelles, in particular the establishment of ninefold symmetry and the control of centriole length, are now starting to be uncovered.

The Stil protein regulates centrosome integrity and mitosis through suppression of Chfr

Stil (Sil, SCL/TAL1 interrupting locus) is a cytosolic and centrosomal protein expressed in proliferating cells that is required for mouse and zebrafish neural development and is mutated in familial microcephaly. Recently the Drosophila melanogaster ortholog of Stil was found to be important for centriole duplication. Consistent with this finding, we report here that mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking Stil are characterized by slow growth, low mitotic index and absence of clear centrosomes. We hypothesized that Stil regulates mitosis through the tumor suppressor Chfr, an E3 ligase that blocks mitotic entry in response to mitotic stress. Mouse fibroblasts lacking Stil by genomic or RNA interference approaches, as well as E9.5 Stil(-/-) embryos, express high levels of the Chfr protein and reduced levels of the Chfr substrate Plk1. Exogenous expression of Stil, knockdown of Chfr or overexpression of Plk1 reverse the abnormal mitotic phenotypes of fibroblasts lacking Stil. We further demonstrate that Stil increases Chfr auto-ubiquitination and reduces its protein stability. Thus, Stil is required for centrosome organization, entry into mitosis and cell proliferation, and these functions are at least partially mediated by Chfr and its targets. This is the first identification of a negative regulator of the Chfr mitotic checkpoint.

Analysis of cell proliferation, senescence, and cell death in zebrafish embryos

Proper control of cell proliferation is critical for normal development, growth, differentiation, and tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of cell division and cell death underlies almost all cancers, and contributes to the pathology of birth defects and degenerative diseases. The zebrafish has proved to be an excellent system for elucidating the roles of the cell cycle in normal development, and ways in which dysregulation of cell proliferation contributes to disease. This chapter describes the methods for studying the cell cycle in zebrafish embryos, including protocols to examine cell proliferation, DNA damage, senescence, and cell death.

WDR62 is associated with the spindle pole and is mutated in human microcephaly

Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a disorder of neurodevelopment resulting in a small brain. We identified WDR62 as the second most common cause of MCPH after finding homozygous missense and frame-shifting mutations in seven MCPH families. In human cell lines, we found that WDR62 is a spindle pole protein, as are ASPM and STIL, the MCPH7 and MCHP7 proteins. Mutant WDR62 proteins failed to localize to the mitotic spindle pole. In human and mouse embryonic brain, we found that WDR62 expression was restricted to neural precursors undergoing mitosis. These data lend support to the hypothesis that the exquisite control of the cleavage furrow orientation in mammalian neural precursor cell mitosis, controlled in great part by the centrosomes and spindle poles, is critical both in causing MCPH when perturbed and, when modulated, generating the evolutionarily enlarged human brain.

CDK5RAP2 regulates centriole engagement and cohesion in mice

Centriole duplication occurs once per cell cycle, ensuring that each cell contains two centrosomes, each containing a mother-daughter pair of tightly engaged centrioles at mitotic entry. Loss of the tight engagement between mother and daughter centrioles appears to license the next round of centriole duplication. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating this process remain largely unknown. Mutations in CDK5RAP2, which encodes a centrosomal protein, cause autosomal recessive primary microcephaly in humans. Here we show that CDK5RAP2 loss of function in mice causes centriole amplification with a preponderance of single, unpaired centrioles and increased numbers of daughter-daughter centriole pairs. These results indicate that CDK5RAP2 is required to maintain centriole engagement and cohesion, thereby restricting centriole replication. Early in mitosis, amplified centrosomes assemble multipolar spindles in CDK5RAP2 mutant cells. Moreover, both mother and daughter centrioles are amplified and the excess mother centrioles template multiple primary cilia in CDK5RAP2 mutant cells.

Cdk5rap2 interacts with pericentrin to maintain the neural progenitor pool in the developing neocortex

Primary autosomal-recessive microcephaly (MCPH) and Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II (MOPDII) are both genetic diseases that result in decreased brain size at birth. MCPH is thought to arise from alterations in the size of the neural progenitor pool, but the cause of this defect has not been thoroughly explored. We find that one of the genes associated with MCPH, Cdk5rap2, is highly expressed in the neural progenitor pool and that its loss results in a depletion of apical progenitors and increased cell-cycle exit leading to premature neuronal differentiation. We link Cdk5rap2 function to the pericentriolar material protein pericentrin, loss of function of which is associated with MOPDII. Depletion of pericentrin in neural progenitors phenocopies effects of Cdk5rap2 knockdown and results in decreased recruitment of Cdk5rap2 to the centrosome. Our findings uncover a common mechanism, involving aberrations in the neurogenesis program, that may underlie the development of microcephaly in multiple diseases.

An essential function for the centrosomal protein NEDD1 in zebrafish development

The centrosome is the primary microtubule organising centre of the cell. It is composed of many proteins, some of which make up the core of the centrosome, whereas others are used for specific functions. Although the cellular roles of many centrosomal proteins are well defined, much less is known about their functions and the role of the centrosome in development. In this study we investigated the function of NEDD1, a critical component of the centrosome essential for microtubule nucleation, in zebrafish (Danio rerio) development. The zebrafish homologue of NEDD1 (zNEDD1) was cloned and found to have a similar localisation and function to mammalian NEDD1. We show that zNEDD1 is essential for survival, as a high level of knockdown was embryonic lethal. Partial knockdown of zNEDD1 caused abnormalities including an increase in mitotic and apoptotic cells. Pronounced phenotypic defects were seen in the brain, with a lack of defined brain structures, incomplete neural tube formation and a disorganisation of neurons. In addition, we show that a reduction in zNEDD1 resulted in the loss of gamma-tubulin at the centrosome. Our data thus demonstrate that zNEDD1 is critical for the recruitment of gamma-tubulin to the centrosome, and is essential for the proper development of zebrafish.

Drosophila Ana2 is a conserved centriole duplication factor

In Caenorhabditis elegans, five proteins are required for centriole duplication: SPD-2, ZYG-1, SAS-5, SAS-6, and SAS-4. Functional orthologues of all but SAS-5 have been found in other species. In Drosophila melanogaster and humans, Sak/Plk4, DSas-6/hSas-6, and DSas-4/CPAP-orthologues of ZYG-1, SAS-6, and SAS-4, respectively-are required for centriole duplication. Strikingly, all three fly proteins can induce the de novo formation of centriole-like structures when overexpressed in unfertilized eggs. Here, we find that of eight candidate duplication factors identified in cultured fly cells, only two, Ana2 and Asterless (Asl), share this ability. Asl is now known to be essential for centriole duplication in flies, but no equivalent protein has been found in worms. We show that Ana2 is the likely functional orthologue of SAS-5 and that it is also related to the vertebrate STIL/SIL protein family that has been linked to microcephaly in humans. We propose that members of the SAS-5/Ana2/STIL family of proteins are key conserved components of the centriole duplication machinery.

Many roads lead to primary autosomal recessive microcephaly

Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH), historically referred to as Microcephalia vera, is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous disease. Patients with MCPH typically exhibit congenital microcephaly as well as mental retardation, but usually no further neurological findings or malformations. Their microcephaly with grossly preserved macroscopic organization of the brain is a consequence of a reduced brain volume, which is evident particularly within the cerebral cortex and thus results to a large part from a reduction of grey matter. Some patients with MCPH further provide evidence of neuronal heterotopias, polymicrogyria or cortical dysplasia suggesting an associated neuronal migration defect. Genetic causes of MCPH subtypes 1-7 include mutations in genes encoding microcephalin, cyclin-dependent kinase 5 regulatory associated protein 2 (CDK5RAP2), abnormal spindle-like, microcephaly associated protein (ASPM), centromeric protein J (CENPJ), and SCL/TAL1-interrupting locus (STIL) as well as linkage to the two loci 19q13.1-13.2 and 15q15-q21. Here, we provide a timely overview of current knowledge on mechanisms leading to microcephaly in humans with MCPH and abnormalities in cell division/cell survival in corresponding animal models. Understanding the pathomechanisms leading to MCPH is of high importance not only for our understanding of physiologic brain development (particularly of cortex formation), but also for that of trends in mammalian evolution with a massive increase in size of the cerebral cortex in primates, of microcephalies of other etiologies including environmentally induced microcephalies, and of cancer formation.

Primary microcephaly: do all roads lead to Rome?

The relatively large brain and expanded cerebral cortex of humans is unusual in the animal kingdom and is thought to have promoted our adaptability and success as a species. One approach for investigating neurogenesis is the study of autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH), in which prenatal brain growth is significantly reduced without an effect on brain structure. To date, eight MCPH loci and five genes have been identified. Unexpectedly, all MCPH proteins are ubiquitous and localise to centrosomes for at least part of the cell cycle. Here, we focus on recent functional studies of MCPH proteins that reveal the centrosome as a final integration point for many regulatory pathways affecting prenatal neurogenesis in mammals.

Topoisomerase II alpha is required for embryonic development and liver regeneration in zebrafish

Topoisomerases solve the topological problems encountered by DNA throughout the lifetime of a cell. Topoisomerase II alpha, which is highly conserved among eukaryotes, untangles replicated chromosomes during mitosis and is absolutely required for cell viability. A homozygous lethal mutant, can4, was identified in a screen to identify genes important for cell proliferation in zebrafish by utilizing an antibody against a mitosis-specific marker, phospho-histone H3. Mutant embryos have a decrease in the number of proliferating cells and display increases in DNA content and apoptosis, as well as mitotic spindle defects. Positional cloning revealed that the genetic defect underlying these phenotypes was the result of a mutation in the zebrafish topoisomerase II alpha (top2a) gene. top2a was found to be required for decatenation but not for condensation in embryonic mitoses. In addition to being required for development, top2a was found to be a haploinsufficient regulator of adult liver regrowth in zebrafish. Regeneration analysis of other adult tissues, including fins, revealed no heterozygous phenotype. Our results confirm a conserved role for TOP2A in vertebrates as well as a dose-sensitive requirement for top2a in adults.

Mutations in STIL, encoding a pericentriolar and centrosomal protein, cause primary microcephaly

Primary microcephaly (MCPH) is an autosomal-recessive congenital disorder characterized by smaller-than-normal brain size and mental retardation. MCPH is genetically heterogeneous with six known loci: MCPH1-MCPH6. We report mapping of a novel locus, MCPH7, to chromosome 1p32.3-p33 between markers D1S2797 and D1S417, corresponding to a physical distance of 8.39 Mb. Heterogeneity analysis of 24 families previously excluded from linkage to the six known MCPH loci suggested linkage of five families (20.83%) to the MCPH7 locus. In addition, four families were excluded from linkage to the MCPH7 locus as well as all of the six previously known loci, whereas the remaining 15 families could not be conclusively excluded or included. The combined maximum two-point LOD score for the linked families was 5.96 at marker D1S386 at theta = 0.0. The combined multipoint LOD score was 6.97 between markers D1S2797 and D1S417. Previously, mutations in four genes, MCPH1, CDK5RAP2, ASPM, and CENPJ, that code for centrosomal proteins have been shown to cause this disorder. Three different homozygous mutations in STIL, which codes for a pericentriolar and centrosomal protein, were identified in patients from three of the five families linked to the MCPH7 locus; all are predicted to truncate the STIL protein. Further, another recently ascertained family was homozygous for the same mutation as one of the original families. There was no evidence for a common haplotype. These results suggest that the centrosome and its associated structures are important in the control of neurogenesis in the developing human brain.

The mitotic checkpoint gene, SIL is regulated by E2F1

The SIL gene expression is increased in multiple cancers and correlates with the expression of mitotic spindle checkpoint genes and with increased metastatic potential. SIL regulates mitotic entry, organization of the mitotic spindle and cell survival. The E2F transcription factors regulate cell cycle progression by controlling the expression of genes mediating the G1/S transition. More recently, E2F has been shown to regulate mitotic spindle checkpoint genes as well. As SIL expression correlates with mitotic checkpoint genes, we hypothesized that SIL is regulated by E2F. We mined raw data of published experiments and performed new experiments by modification of E2F expression in cell lines, reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Ectopic expression or endogenous activation of E2F induced the expression of SIL, while knockdown of E2F by shRNA, downregulated SIL expression. E2F activated SIL promoter by reporter assay and bound to SIL promoter in vivo. Taken together these data demonstrate that SIL is regulated by E2F. As SIL is essential for mitotic entry, E2F may regulate G2/M transition through the induction of SIL. Furthermore, as silencing of SIL cause apoptosis in cancer cells, these finding may have therapeutic relevance in tumors with constitutive activation of E2F.