Title
The good, the bad and the ugly: the practical consequences of centrosome amplification
GSBS Program
Cell Biology
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Cell Biology
Date
3-24-2004
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Animals; Centrosome; Humans; Mitosis; Mitotic Spindle Apparatus; Neoplasms
Disciplines
Cell Biology | Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Centrosome amplification (the presence of more than two centrosomes at mitosis) is characteristic of many human cancers. Extra centrosomes can cause the assembly of multipolar spindles, which unequally distribute chromosomes to daughter cells; the resulting genetic imbalances may contribute to cellular transformation. However, this raises the question of how a population of cells with centrosome amplification can survive such chaotic mitoses without soon becoming non-viable as a result of chromosome loss. Recent observations indicate that a variety of mechanisms partially mute the practical consequences of centrosome amplification. Consequently, populations of cells propagate with good efficiency, despite centrosome amplification, yet have an elevated mitotic error rate that can fuel the evolution of the transformed state.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2004 Feb;16(1):49-54. Link to article on publisher's site