IISc team develops light-based method to restore cell division in experiments
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have developed Light-Induced Spindle Activation, a technique that uses blue light to activate Aurora A kinase and stimulate spindle formation. In laboratory experiments, the method restored spindle assembly in human cells from which centrosomes had been removed, offering a tool for studying cell division.
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have developed a light-based technique that can activate a key enzyme involved in cell division and restore spindle assembly in experimental human cells. The method, called Light-Induced Spindle Activation, or LISA, uses blue light to reversibly activate Aurora A kinase, an enzyme important for assembling the spindle that separates chromosomes during division. Scientists had believed that Aurora A was activated by clustering with the help of Cep192, a scaffold protein.
The IISc team found that Aurora A could instead be clustered and activated using a light-sensitive system, independently of Cep192 and across different cell types. To create LISA, Sachin Kotak and his team linked Aurora A to CRY2, a plant protein that responds to blue light. When illuminated, CRY2 interacts with CIB1 and causes multiple Aurora A assemblies to cluster.
The clustering stimulates the formation of microtubules, structures needed for spindle assembly. The researchers tested the method in living cells after chemically removing their centrosomes. Cells lacking centrosomes can develop spindle-assembly defects and errors in division.
When blue light was applied during mitosis, LISA induced Aurora A clustering, stimulated microtubule formation and restored spindle assembly, IISc said. The technique could allow researchers to investigate centrosomes and spindle assembly in greater detail. Kotak said it might also help identify Aurora A targets independently of the centrosome and support the design of future drugs, although the source material describes these as potential applications rather than established treatments.
The study used an existing light-induced clustering approach called LARIAT, adapting it from protein inhibition to enzyme activation.
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