43rd ANNUAL DROSOPHILA RESEARCH CONFERENCE
April 10-14, 2002

PROGRAM AND ABSTRACT VOLUME
Workshop Abstract

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A role for Dwee1 in regulating progression through mitosis. Jason Stumpff, Tin Tin Su. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0347.

The wee1 protein kinase phosphorylates and inactivates cyclin dependent kinase1 (cdk1) to prevent the entry into mitosis. Wee1 has also been identified as a target of DNA integrity checkpoints in yeast and Xenopus. Using biochemical and genetic approaches, we have found evidence that Drosophila Wee1 (Dwee1) may also play a role in regulating progression through mitosis. Cytological analysis of Dwee mutant embryos revealed defects in spindle rearrangements and mitotic progression during early embryonic divisions. In addition, using MALDI mass spectrometry, we have identified proteins with known mitotic roles that physically interact with Dwee1. We hypothesize that Dwee1 regulates its interactors to bring about spindle rearrangements that allow progress from one stage of mitosis to the next.