Proteomics in Cell Division

Cell division requires a coordinated action of the cell cycle machinery, cytoskeletal elements, chromosomes and membranes. Cell division studies have greatly benefitted from the mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic approaches for probing the biochemistry of highly dynamic complexes and their coordination with each other as a cell progresses into division. In this review, we first summarize a wide-range of proteomic studies that focus on the identification of sub-cellular components/protein complexes of the cell division machinery including kinetochores, mitotic spindle, midzone and centrosomes. We also highlight MS-based large-scale analyses of the cellular components that are largely understudied during cell division such as cell surface and lipids. Then, we focus on posttranslational modification analyses, especially phosphorylation and the resulting crosstalk with other modifications as a cell undergoes cell division. Combining proteomic approaches that probe the biochemistry of cell division components with functional genomic assays, will lead to breakthroughs toward a systems level understanding of cell division. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved