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Microbiology: Current Research 2017 | Volume 1, Issue 2
Joint Conference
GLOBAL APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY CONFERENCE
MICROBIAL & BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGIES
October 18-19, 2017
Toronto, Canada
International Congress on
&
Kip2 is required for maintenance of normal spindle dynamics and cell cycle progression
Beryl Augustine
University of Toronto, Canada
Statement of the Problem:
The mitotic spindle is an elegant
machineemployedby thecell tosegregatechromosomesduring
cell division. It is composed of both nuclear and cytoplasmic
microtubules (cMTs), whose movements are regulated by
microtubulemotor proteins. A key protein that polymerizes and
stabilizes cMTs is Kip2p. As most previous studies have focused
on the role of
KIP2
in spindle positioning, not much is known
about the protein’s role during early cell division cycle.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation:
To determine the
physiological significance of Kip2p during cell division, we
performed genetic studies and examined spindle dynamics
in the absence or upon overexpression of KIP2. We used
live-cell imaging and confocal microscopy to study spindle
dynamics.
Findings:
In the absenceof
KIP2
, defects in spindle orientation
and nuclear migration were observed. Interestingly,
overexpression of
KIP2
resulted in a cell cycle arrest.
Conclusion & Significance:
Our results indicate that
regulation of Kip2p levels is essential to maintain normal
spindle dynamics and ensure cell cycle progression.
Therefore, Kip2p could have a potential role in anti-cancer
therapies.
Speaker Biography
Beryl Augustine is a PhD graduate from the National University of Singapore, where she
completed her Doctoral degree in Life Sciences, receiving the prestigious NUS Research
Scholarship. Her research work was focused on the molecular regulation of cell division
machinery, with potential applications in oncology therapies. Inspired by the power of
genetics, whereby one mutation in a gene can impact the whole organism, she did her
undergrad in Biotechnology, for which she was awarded the university silver medal.
She has a passion to bring the benefits of science and technology to society. She enjoys
travelling and exploring different cities and cultures. She has presented her research
at several international conferences including Cincinnati, San Francisco and Seattle,
the latter with a Travel Fellowship award. She has co-authored two research articles in
reputed peer-reviewed journals, one of which is a first-author paper to be published
later this year.
e:
beryl.augustine@gmail.com