Resumen de Role of the atypical cdk activator ringo beyond meiosis
María Alejandra González Pérez
The cell cycle is orchestrated by the periodic activation of Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). The enzymatic activity of CDKs depends on their association with cyclins, however, in some cases these kinases can be activated by non-cyclin proteins. RINGO is an atypical CDK activator which regulates the meiotic maturation of Xenopus oocytes and has been recently described as essential for meiotic prophase in mouse. As an activator of CDKs, RINGO has a potential role in cell cycle regulation. CDK regulation by RINGO has been extensively studied in vitro. However, the implication of RINGO in particular cellular processes is poorly understood. Moreover, very little is known about RINGO functions in vivo beyond meiosis.
This thesis has addressed the functional relevance of mammalian RINGO proteins in somatic cells, both during homeostasis and in cancer. We have characterized the effects of RingoA knock-down in human cells and found changes in cell cycle progression as well as reduced cell viability. In an attempt to reveal the RingoA interactome, an unbiased proteomic approach was used, which allowed the identification of the cohesin complex and ANKRD11 as new RingoA interactors. Moreover, we describe the expression of endogenous RingoA during the cell cycle of human cells and show that it is present in nuclear speckles. The study of RingoA expression in vivo using a reporter system and gene expression analysis pointed to the brain as the somatic tissue where RingoA is most expressed. We have also analyzed genetically modified mice and found that RingoA and RingoB are not essential for somatic tissue homeostasis. Nevertheless, RingoA is expressed in the sub-ventricular zone of the adult mouse brain and is important for neural stem cell self-renewal ex vivo. Finally, using the Polyoma middle T mammary tumorigenesis model, we showed that RingoA and RingoB are required for tumor growth.
