Centrosomes and cancer

Jeffrey L. Salisbury, Clark M. Whitehead, Wilma L. Lingle, Susan L. Barrett

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

103 Scopus citations

Abstract

The centrosome functions as the major microtubule organizing center (MTOC) of the cell and as such it determines the number, polarity, and organization of interphase and mitotic microtubules. Cytoplasmic organization, cell polarity and the equal partition of chromosomes into daughter cells at the time of cell division are all dependent on the normal function of the centrosome and on its orderly duplication, once and only once, in each cell cycle. Malignant tumor cells show characteristic defects in cell and tissue architecture and in chromosome number that can be attributed to inappropriate centrosome behavior during tumor progression. In this review, we will summarize recent observations linking centrosome defects to disruption of normal cell and tissue organization and to chromosomal instability found in malignant tumors. (C) 1999 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)451-460
Number of pages10
JournalBiology of the Cell
Volume91
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999

Keywords

  • Aneuploidy
  • Boveri
  • Cell polarity
  • Centrioles
  • Chromosomal instability
  • Malignant cells

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cell Biology

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