RESEARCH STORY: Dr. Fangwei Wang presents "Histone H3 Thr-3 Phosphorylation by Haspin Positions Aurora B at Centromeres in Mitosis" in Science (12/15/2010)
  Many congratulations to Dr. Fangwei Wang for publishing a Science paper in Oct, 2010! Dr. Fangwei Wang has been working as a Research Fellow in Dr. Jonathan Higgins laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School since October, 2006. He obtained his Ph.D. from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in 2006. Currently,       his     research      aims      at
understanding the molecular mechanism regulating mitotic chromosome segregation, with emphasis on mitotic kinases including Haspin and Aurora B, and on the role of histone modifications in mitosis.

The title of the Science paper is "Histone H3 Thr-3 Phosphorylation by Haspin Positions Aurora B at Centromeres in Mitosis" [Science, 2010 Oct 8;330 (6001):231-5]. Here is the short description of his work:

Aurora B is a component of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) required for correct spindle-kinetochore attachments during chromosome segregation and for cytokinesis. A key question in the field of mitotic regulation is how the CPC is targeted to centromeres in early mitosis. Here we show that phosphorylation of histone H3 threonine 3 (H3T3ph) by Haspin is necessary for CPC accumulation at centromeres and that the CPC subunit Survivin binds directly to H3T3ph. A nonbinding Survivin-D70A/D71A mutant does not support centromeric CPC concentration, and both Haspin depletion and Survivin-D70A/D71A mutation diminish centromere localization of the kinesin MCAK and the mitotic checkpoint response to taxol. Survivin-D70A/D71A mutation and microinjection of H3T3ph-specific antibody both compromise centromeric Aurora B functions but do not prevent cytokinesis. Thus, H3T3ph generated by Haspin positions the CPC at centromeres to regulate selected targets of Aurora B during mitosis. Taken together, these studies have uncovered the long-sought mechanism for centromere targeting of the CPC and suggested a new role for a protein motif (the BIR domain of Survivin) previously linked to apoptosis.

If anyone has interested in his research, you can email Dr. Fangwei Wang directly at fwwang@rics.bwh.harvar.edu.

Cheers

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