Critical Cloning Proteins Identified

Researchers working with frog eggs as a model system for cloning have identified the FRGY2 proteins that can trigger reversible disassembly of complex nucleolar structures within the egg cytoplasm. The findings were published in the February 17, 2003, in the online edition of Nature Cell Biology.

Investigators from the University of Minnesota's Stem Cell Institute (Minneapolis, USA; www.umn.edu) delved into the secrets of the cloning process by removing the nucleus from frog egg cells and replacing them with the nuclei from somatic cells. Purification of proteins from the egg cytoplasm yielded two proteins, FRGY2a and FRGY2b, which could dissemble the foreign nucleoli and then reconstruct them as egg nucleoli.

"The nucleolus, one of the largest structures found within the cell's nucleus, contains numerous proteins that have essential roles in cell biology, for cancer, stem cells, and aging,” explained senior author Dr. Nobuaki Kikyo, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota. "By understanding how the nucleolus disassembles and reassembles, we hope to learn more about normal cell development, the roles of specific proteins, and their impact on human diseases. The study shows that FRGY2 proteins may be able to transform adult cells into something more like embryonic cells. Furthermore, this work shows that it is possible to dissect the very mysterious process, cloning, with a biochemical approach and identify key players in it.”




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