Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40702310›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2025

The microtubule-severing enzyme spastin regulates spindle dynamics to promote chromosome segregation in Trypanosoma brucei.

Thiago Souza Onofre, Qing Zhou, Ziyin Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Thiago Souza OnofreDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Qing ZhouDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2096-1960
Ziyin LiDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA. Ziyin.Li@uth.tmc.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3960-9716

Funding

Mechanisms Of The Unusual Cytokinesis In TrypanosomesR01AI101437 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI LI, ZIYIN · 2013 to 2025
$6.4M
Regulation of cell cycle transitions by cyclin-dependent kinase in trypanosomesR01AI118736 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI LI, ZIYIN · 2016 to 2025
$3.8M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI101437NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI118736U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) AI101437U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) AI118736
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Microtubule-severing enzymes play essential roles in diverse cellular processes, including mitosis and cytokinesis, by modulating microtubule dynamics. In the early branching Trypanosoma brucei, microtubule-severing enzymes are involved in cytokinesis and flagellum length control, but none of them have been found to regulate mitosis. Here we report the characterization of the microtubule-severing enzyme spastin in the procyclic form of T. brucei. We demonstrate that spastin severs microtubule in vitro and overexpression of spastin disrupts spindle microtubules in vivo in trypanosomes, leading to defective chromosome segregation. Knockdown of spastin impairs spindle integrity and disrupts chromosome alignment and segregation. We further show that the function of spastin requires the catalytic AAA-ATPase domain, the microtubule-binding domain, and the microtubule interacting and trafficking domain, and that the association of spastin with spindle depends on the microtubule-binding domain. Together, these results uncover important roles for spastin in chromosome segregation by regulating spindle dynamics in T. brucei.

Indexed as

Chromosome SegregationMicrotubulesProtozoan ProteinsSpastinSpindle ApparatusTrypanosoma brucei bruceiProtozoan ProteinsSpastin

Identifiers

PMID40702310
PMCPMC12287269

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.