Chromosome Twister: Scientists Find Key Controller of Cell Division

A group of researchers from Thiruvananthapuram, a city in the Indian state of Kerala, discovered a key factor which controls genetic material in human cell division.

It is a known fact that all cells in the human body carry a set of 23 chromosome pairs, and after the division process it normally produces two new cells with 23 pairs of chromosomes in each. However, the exact mechanism of this process remained unknown until now.

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) led by Dr. Tapas Manna has unveiled a mysterious component which plays a crucial role in cell division and chromosome regulation.

The novel component, called an End binding one (EB1) factor, is a protein that is the linking component involved in separating the chromosomes during cell division. It helps to hold the sister chromatids of the future new sells together, explains Dr. Manna, Associate Professor and Head at the IISER.

"We are the first to identify that it has a crucial role to play in chromosome regulation during cell division," he said, as quoted by Deccan Chronicle newspaper.

In addition, the scientists revealed the factor's role in tumor growth that was a mystery to researches so far. "In every dividing cell, the complex process of cell division happens in about 40 to 50 minutes. If EB1 is high, chromosome attachment will take place at a faster rate, like how it happens in a cancer cell. So inhibiting EB1 could work as a cancer cure," Dr. Manna said.

Since errors in chromosome segregation lead to genetic disorders like Down Syndrome and cancers, the study will be used in pharmacology in the future.