Silencing of human Int-6 impairs mitosis progression and inhibits cyclin B-Cdk1 activation

The Int-6 protein has been originally identified as the product of a mouse gene being a frequent integration site of the mouse mammary tumour virus. Here, we show that reducing Int-6 expression by RNA interference in HeLa cells markedly alters mitosis progression. Defects in spindle formation, chromosome segregation and cytokinesis were observed. These abnormalities of mitosis completion are correlated with an inhibition of cyclin B Cdk1 kinase activity, due to a prolonged inhibitory phosphorylated state of Cdk1. In line with this observation, the Wee1 tyrosine kinase that negatively controls Cdk1 was less efficiently inactivated during G2 in Int-6-depleted cells. These findings support the notion that the oncogenic properties associated with alteration of Int-6 originate from chromosomal instability.