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Gene Review:

numa - nuclear/mitotic apparatus protein

Xenopus laevis

Zeng, C., Merdes, A. et al., Becker, B.E. et al., Gaetz, J. et al., Nachury, M.V. et al., et al.

Zeng,

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High impact information on NuMA

NuMA and other APA components are discharged from importin beta by RanGTP and induce spindle-like structures in the absence of centrosomes, chromatin, or Ran [1].
A subdomain of the NuMA tail was shown to induce microtubule aster formation by mediating microtubule bundling [2].
Immunodepletion revealed that NuMA forms a complex with cytoplasmic dynein and dynactin [2].
NuMA is a nuclear protein during interphase but redistributes to the spindle poles early in mitosis [2].
This NuMA fragment also specifically interacted with the nuclear transport factor, importin-beta [3].

Biological context of NuMA

Furthermore, NuMA may represent a large group of proteins whose mitotic function is sequestered in the nucleus during interphase [4].
As a mitotic centrosomal component, NuMA is essential for the organization and stabilization of spindle poles from early mitosis until at least the onset of anaphase [4].
The cell cycle-dependent distribution and function of NuMA is regulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, and p34/CDC2 activity is important to the mitotic role of NuMA [4].

Anatomical context of NuMA

To understand more fully the assembly of the MTOC-TMA, we used confocal immunofluorescence microscopy to examine the localization and function of XMAP215, XKCM1, NuMA, and cytoplasmic dynein during oocyte maturation [5].

Other interactions of NuMA

Here, we show that dynein/dynactin, a multi-subunit microtubule minus-end-directed motor complex, and NuMA, a microtubule cross-linker, regulate spindle length [6].

References

Importin beta is a mitotic target of the small GTPase Ran in spindle assembly. Nachury, M.V., Maresca, T.J., Salmon, W.C., Waterman-Storer, C.M., Heald, R., Weis, K. Cell (2001) [Pubmed]
A complex of NuMA and cytoplasmic dynein is essential for mitotic spindle assembly. Merdes, A., Ramyar, K., Vechio, J.D., Cleveland, D.W. Cell (1996) [Pubmed]
Role of importin-beta in coupling Ran to downstream targets in microtubule assembly. Wiese, C., Wilde, A., Moore, M.S., Adam, S.A., Merdes, A., Zheng, Y. Science (2001) [Pubmed]
NuMA: a nuclear protein involved in mitotic centrosome function. Zeng, C. Microsc. Res. Tech. (2000) [Pubmed]
XMAP215, XKCM1, NuMA, and cytoplasmic dynein are required for the assembly and organization of the transient microtubule array during the maturation of Xenopus oocytes. Becker, B.E., Romney, S.J., Gard, D.L. Dev. Biol. (2003) [Pubmed]
Dynein/dynactin regulate metaphase spindle length by targeting depolymerizing activities to spindle poles. Gaetz, J., Kapoor, T.M. J. Cell Biol. (2004) [Pubmed]

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