Meteorin Is a Novel Interaction Partner of p60‐Katanin During Mitosis in <scp>HCT</scp> ‐116 Colorectal Cancer Cells

Microtubule cytoskeletal proteins are essential for maintaining cellular functions. In addition to dynamic instability, the organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton is also regulated by microtubule-severing proteins, which play roles in critical processes such as cell division. One of the microtubule-severing proteins, p60-Katanin, localizes to the mitotic spindle, centrosomes, midbody, and contractile ring, thereby facilitating the proper completion of the cell cycle, which requires microtubule remodeling. Here, we identify Meteorin as a novel interaction partner of p60-Katanin in HCT-116 colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Meteorin is observed to localize at spindle poles during prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase in cell division. Our findings also indicate that Meteorin co-localizes with p60-Katanin during mitosis. Silencing of Meteorin leads to reduced cell proliferation irrespective of TP53 expression in both HCT-116 and HCT-116 p53 (-/-) CRC cells. Upon Meteorin silencing, p60-Katanin expression decreases in both CRC cell types, whereas it increases due to Meteorin overexpression in only HCT-116 CRC cells. Overall, these results indicate that Meteorin localizes to spindle poles and interacts with p60-Katanin, and that depletion of Meteorin inhibits the proliferation of HCT-116 CRC cells regardless of p53 expression.