Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
197,693 studies31 sourcesUpdated 31 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Nucleic Acids Research

Emerging roles of RIF1 in mitosis

  • Suparba Roy1,2,3
  • Benjamin Brisebois1,2
  • Jean-Yves Masson1,2,3,4
  • Sabine Elowe1,2,3,5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, CHU de Québec-Université Laval , Québec, QC G1J 1Z4 ,
  2. 2Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Université Laval, Axe d'oncologie , Québec, QC G1J 1Z4 ,
  3. 3Regroupement Québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, L’ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines , Montréal, QC H2X 3Y7 ,
  4. 4Département de biologie moléculaire, biochimie médicale et pathologie, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6 ,
  5. 5Département de Pédiatrie, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval , Québec, QC G1V 0A6 ,
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Faithful chromosome segregation during cell division requires precise coordination of kinase– and phosphatase–driven signaling pathways. Defects in this balance can cause chromosome missegregation and cytokinesis failure, resulting in genomic instability. Rap1-interacting factor 1 (RIF1) is known for its interphase functions in DNA damage repair, DNA replication timing, and chromatin organization. However, recent work has established RIF1 as a critical mitotic regulator that functions primarily through its role as a protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) adaptor. During early mitosis, the localization of RIF1 to the mitotic apparatus is thought to be actively suppressed by mitotic kinases, including cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), aurora kinase B (AURKB), and polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), preventing premature PP1 engagement and dephosphorylation. Following anaphase onset, relief of this inhibition allows PLK1-interacting checkpoint helicase (PICH)–dependent recruitment of RIF1 to ultrafine anaphase DNA bridges (UFBs), where RIF1-associated PP1 activity determines pathway choice for UFB resolution. In cytokinesis, PLK1 promotes RIF1 recruitment to the midbody, where PP1 antagonizes AURKB activity to enable timely cytokinetic abscission. Herein, we review recent advances defining the spatial and temporal regulation of RIF1 during mitosis, highlight unresolved mechanistic questions in UFB resolution and PP1 regulation, and discuss emerging links between the mitotic functions of RIF1 and genomic instability.

Related

  1. Microglia in the neurogenic niche: emerging roles of immunometabolism
    Danping Liu, Yunjun Li, Yan Liu
    Frontiers in NeurosciencePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textNeuroscienceCrossref
  2. TLR Signaling Beyond Immunity: Emerging Roles in Cell Migration, Metabolism, Development, and Host-Microbiome Crosstalk.
    Li Liu, Herman P Spaink
    BiologyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textImmunologyEurope PMC
  3. Recent Advances in Protein Tyrosine Sulfation and Its Emerging Roles in Human Diseases
    Ning Liu, Xiaowen Chen, Hailong Zhao +1
    CellsPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Cell biologyCrossref
  4. Emerging Roles of PSTPIP2 in Autoimmunity: From Mechanism to Therapeutic Implications
    Erdong Zhang, Fengyu Liu, Yongle Wei +7
    ImmunologyPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textImmunologyPMC
  5. Unveiling the missing link between chronic prostatitis and prostate cancer: emerging roles of exosomal miRNAs as extracellular vesicle messengers
    Yihang Shen, Baojun Ju
    Frontiers in ImmunologyPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0ImmunologyFrontiersCrossref

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{roy2026emerging,
  title = {{Emerging roles of RIF1 in mitosis}},
  author = {Suparba Roy and Benjamin Brisebois and Jean-Yves Masson and Sabine Elowe},
  journal = {Nucleic Acids Research},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1093/nar/gkag1012},
  url = {https://academic.oup.com/nar/article/doi/10.1093/nar/gkag1012/8986417},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Emerging roles of RIF1 in mitosis
AU  - Suparba Roy
AU  - Benjamin Brisebois
AU  - Jean-Yves Masson
AU  - Sabine Elowe
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/23
JO  - Nucleic Acids Research
DO  - 10.1093/nar/gkag1012
UR  - https://academic.oup.com/nar/article/doi/10.1093/nar/gkag1012/8986417
AB  - Faithful chromosome segregation during cell division requires precise coordination of kinase– and phosphatase–driven signaling pathways. Defects in this balance can cause chromosome missegregation and cytokinesis failure, resulting in genomic instability. Rap1-interacting factor 1 (RIF1) is known for its interphase functions in DNA damage repair, DNA replication timing, and chromatin organization. However, recent work has established RIF1 as a critical mitotic regulator that functions primarily through its role as a protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) adaptor. During early mitosis, the localization of RIF1 to the mitotic apparatus is thought to be actively suppressed by mitotic kinases, including cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), aurora kinase B (AURKB), and polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), preventing premature PP1 engagement and dephosphorylation. Following anaphase onset, relief of this inhibition allows PLK1-interacting checkpoint helicase (PICH)–dependent recruitment of RIF1 to ultrafine anaphase DNA bridges (UFBs), where RIF1-associated PP1 activity determines pathway choice for UFB resolution. In cytokinesis, PLK1 promotes RIF1 recruitment to the midbody, where PP1 antagonizes AURKB activity to enable timely cytokinetic abscission. Herein, we review recent advances defining the spatial and temporal regulation of RIF1 during mitosis, highlight unresolved mechanistic questions in UFB resolution and PP1 regulation, and discuss emerging links between the mitotic functions of RIF1 and genomic instability.
SN  - 0305-1048
SN  - 1362-4962
ER  -