Cell Division Flashcards
State some essential features of cell division
Faithfully replicate genetic material
Accurately segregate into daughter cells
How long does it take to replicate the human genome ?
8 hours
How long does it take to segregate the replicated human genome ?
2 hours
State the phases of the cell cycle
INTERPHASE
G1 phase
S phase
G2 phase
M phase + Cytokinesis
What does S phase involve ?
DNA replication
What does the M phase involve ?
Mitosis - nuclear divison
Cytokinesis - cytoplasmic division
(Segregation of replicated information)
What happens in the G1 phase ?
Cell senses the environment and decides whether the cell is ready to divide.
What happens in the G2 phase ?
Cell is checking that DNA is replicated accurately.
Progression to mitosis.
How is cell division controlled ?
Critically controlled by cyclin dependent kinases.
CDK is activated when coupled to cyclin.
Key feature of cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs)
Their activity is cyclical.
There are bursts of CDK activity, coinciding when mitosis is.
CDK activity is related to the concentration of cyclin.
How are CDKs regulated ?
Cyclin dependent kinases are regulated by phosphorylation/ de-phosphorylation reactions.
This allows the cell to control precisely when the CDK is active.
Describe the steps leading to activation of CDK
CDK binds to cyclin
Inactive cyclin-CDK complex
Protein kinases, phosphorylate CDK by adding phosphates to the CDK.
This keeps it in an inactive form.
Then a phosphatase comes along and removes one of the inhibitory phosphates.
Active cyclin-CDK complex
What is the normal function of wee1 ?
Prevents cell division
What happens in the absence of wee1 ?
If you remove this inhibitory pathway, cells divide at a smaller size, than they normally would.
What is the normal function of Cdc25 ?
Promotes cell division
Cdc25 is an activating phosphatase that removes the inhibitory phosphate.
What happens in the absence of Cdc25 ?
Cells divide at a larger size than normal.
Function of cyclin:CDK complexes
Distinct cyclin:CDK complexes control events in cell division
Each CDK has a distinct cyclin.
State some distinct Cyclin
S phase cyclin: becomes active at the transition between G1 and S phase
M phase cyclin: becomes more active at entry to mitosis
Which cyclin is associated with the M phase ?
Cyclin B
(CDC2 = CDK1)
Which cyclin is associated with the G1 phase ?
Nuclear D1
(cyclin D)
(CDK4/6)
Which cyclin is associated with the G1-S phase ?
Cyclin E
(CDK2)
Which cyclin is associated with the S phase ?
Cyclin A
(CDK2) - start
(CDK1) - end
What happens when CDK is finished doing its job ?
The cyclin part becomes ubiquitinated.
Ubiquitin gets conjugated onto the cyclin, and acts as a signal, indicating completion.
State the steps leading to inactivation of CDK
- Active cyclin-CDK complex
- Ubiquitylation of cyclin
- Destruction of cyclin
- Inactive CDK
E1
Ubiquitin activating enzyme