Abstract
In response to environmental signals such as anoxia, many organisms enter a state of suspended animation, an extreme form of quiescence in which microscopically visible movement ceases. We have identified a gene, san-1, that is required for suspended animation in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. We show that san-1 functions as a spindle checkpoint component in C. elegans. During anoxia-induced suspended animation, embryos lacking functional SAN-1 or a second spindle checkpoint component, MDF-2, failed to arrest the cell cycle, exhibited chromosome missegregation, and showed reduced viability. These data provide a model for how a dynamic biological process is arrested in suspended animation.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Anaphase
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Aneuploidy
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Animals
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Blastomeres / physiology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / embryology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / chemistry
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / physiology*
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Cell Cycle Proteins / chemistry
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Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
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Cell Cycle Proteins / physiology*
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Chromosome Segregation
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Genes, Helminth
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Metaphase
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Mitosis*
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Open Reading Frames
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Oxygen / physiology
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RNA Interference
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Spindle Apparatus / physiology*
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Telophase
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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Cell Cycle Proteins
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MDF-2 protein, C elegans
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Oxygen