CHROMOSOME SEGREGATION: NOVEL INSIGHTS INTO THE MECHANISM AND REGULATION

Abstract

A crucial feature of every healthy living organism is accurate segregation of chromosomes. Errors in this process may lead to aneuploidy, which is responsible for diverse genetic defects and diseases such as Down syndrome, miscarriages, cancer and others. Although, chromosome segregation has been studied intensively in the past, the exact mechanism of accurate chromosome segregation still remains unclear. Identification and characterization of proteins and protein complexes involved in this process is essential for understanding of processes that lead to chromosome missegregation. Basic molecular mechanism share common principles in animals, humans, plants and unicellular organisms; it is therefore possible to study these mechanisms in simple model organisms such as yeasts. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an excellent model organism to study the function and regulation of chromosome segregation in both mitosis and meiosis.