scholarly journals Moesin and its activating kinase Slik are required for cortical stability and microtubule organization in mitotic cells

2008 ◽  
Vol 180 (4) ◽  
pp. 739-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Carreno ◽  
Ilektra Kouranti ◽  
Edith Szafer Glusman ◽  
Margaret T. Fuller ◽  
Arnaud Echard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Cortical Actin ◽  
Microtubule Organization ◽  
Abnormal Distribution ◽  
Multistep Process ◽  
Cortical Contractility ◽  
Spatiotemporal Control ◽  
Shape Changes

Cell division requires cell shape changes involving the localized reorganization of cortical actin, which must be tightly linked with chromosome segregation operated by the mitotic spindle. How this multistep process is coordinated remains poorly understood. In this study, we show that the actin/membrane linker moesin, the single ERM (ezrin, radixin, and moesin) protein in Drosophila melanogaster, is required to maintain cortical stability during mitosis. Mitosis onset is characterized by a burst of moesin activation mediated by a Slik kinase–dependent phosphorylation. Activated moesin homogenously localizes at the cortex in prometaphase and is progressively restricted at the equator in later stages. Lack of moesin or inhibition of its activation destabilized the cortex throughout mitosis, resulting in severe cortical deformations and abnormal distribution of actomyosin regulators. Inhibiting moesin activation also impaired microtubule organization and precluded stable positioning of the mitotic spindle. We propose that the spatiotemporal control of moesin activation at the mitotic cortex provides localized cues to coordinate cortical contractility and microtubule interactions during cell division.

Mitotic spindle morphogenesis: Ran on the microtubule cytoskeleton and beyond

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 716-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Goodman ◽  
Y. Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
Microtubule Assembly ◽  
Microtubule Organization ◽  
Spindle Matrix ◽  
Small G Protein ◽  
Important Regulator

Assembly and disassembly of the mitotic spindle are essential for both chromosome segregation and cell division. The small G-protein Ran has emerged as an important regulator of spindle assembly. In this review, we look at the role of Ran in different aspects of spindle assembly, including its effects on microtubule assembly dynamics and microtubule organization. In addition, we examine the possibility of a spindle matrix and the role Ran might play in such a structure.

scholarly journals SUMO proteases SENP3 and SENP5 spatiotemporally regulate the kinase activity of Aurora A

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Yu ◽  
Qiaoyu Lin ◽  
Chao Huang ◽  
Boyan Zhang ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
Sumo Proteases ◽  
Spatiotemporal Control ◽  
Early Mitosis

Precise chromosome segregation is mediated by a well-assembled mitotic spindle, which requires balance of the kinase activity of Aurora A (AurA). However, how this kinase activity is regulated remains largely unclear. Here, using in vivo and in vitro assays, we report that conjugation of SUMO2 with AurA at K258 in early mitosis promotes the kinase activity of AurA and facilitates the binding with its activator, Bora. Knockdown of the SUMO proteases SENP3 and SENP5 disrupted the deSUMOylation of AurA, leading to an increased kinase activity and abnormalities in spindle assembly and chromosomes segregation which could be rescued by suppressing the kinase activity of AurA. Collectively, these results demonstrate that SENP3 and SENP5 deSUMOylate AurA to render a spatiotemporal control on its kinase activity in mitosis.

scholarly journals Cytoplasmic dynein is required for normal nuclear segregation in yeast

1993 ◽  
Vol 90 (23) ◽  
pp. 11172-11176 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Eshel ◽  
L A Urrestarazu ◽  
S Vissers ◽  
J C Jauniaux ◽  
J C van Vliet-Reedijk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Cytoplasmic Dynein ◽  
Predicted Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Abnormal Distribution ◽  
Bud Neck ◽  
Cytoplasmic Microtubules

We have identified the gene DYN1, which encodes the heavy chain of cytoplasmic dynein in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The predicted amino acid sequence (M(r) 471,305) reveals the presence of four P-loop motifs, as in all dyneins known so far, and has 28% overall identity to the dynein heavy chain of Dictyostelium [Koonce, M. P., Grissom, P. M. & McIntosh, J. R. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 119, 1597-1604] with 40% identity in the putative motor domain. Disruption of DYN1 causes misalignment of the spindle relative to the bud neck during cell division and results in abnormal distribution of the dividing nuclei between the mother cell and the bud. Cytoplasmic dynein, by generating force along cytoplasmic microtubules, may play an important role in the proper alignment of the mitotic spindle in yeast.

scholarly journals Pericentromere tension is self-regulated by spindle structure in metaphase

2014 ◽  
Vol 205 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy M. Chacón ◽  
Soumya Mukherjee ◽  
Breanna M. Schuster ◽  
Duncan J. Clarke ◽  
Melissa K. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Chromosome Structure ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Checkpoint Signaling ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Fluorescent Markers ◽  
Spindle Structure

During cell division, a mitotic spindle is built by the cell and acts to align and stretch duplicated sister chromosomes before their ultimate segregation into daughter cells. Stretching of the pericentromeric chromatin during metaphase is thought to generate a tension-based signal that promotes proper chromosome segregation. However, it is not known whether the mitotic spindle actively maintains a set point tension magnitude for properly attached sister chromosomes to facilitate robust mechanochemical checkpoint signaling. By imaging and tracking the thermal movements of pericentromeric fluorescent markers in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we measured pericentromere stiffness and then used the stiffness measurements to quantitatively evaluate the tension generated by pericentromere stretch during metaphase in wild-type cells and in mutants with disrupted chromosome structure. We found that pericentromere tension in yeast is substantial (4–6 pN) and is tightly self-regulated by the mitotic spindle: through adjustments in spindle structure, the cell maintains wild-type tension magnitudes even when pericentromere stiffness is disrupted.

scholarly journals The nonmotor adaptor HMMR dampens Eg5-mediated forces to preserve the kinetics and integrity of chromosome segregation

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 786-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Chen ◽  
Marisa Connell ◽  
Lin Mei ◽  
Gregor S. D. Reid ◽  
Christopher A. Maxwell
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
Adaptor Proteins ◽  
Microtubule Organization ◽  
Assembly Factor ◽  
Mitotic Spindle Assembly ◽  
Chemical Inhibition ◽  
Kinesin Eg5 ◽  
Interfering Rna

Mitotic spindle assembly and organization require forces generated by motor proteins. The activity of these motors is regulated by nonmotor adaptor proteins. However, there are limited studies reporting the functional importance of adaptors on the balance of motor forces and the promotion of faithful and timely cell division. Here we show that genomic deletion or small interfering RNA silencing of the nonmotor adaptor Hmmr/HMMR disturbs spindle microtubule organization and bipolar chromosome–kinetochore attachments with a consequent elevated occurrence of aneuploidy. Rescue experiments show a conserved motif in HMMR is required to generate interkinetochore tension and promote anaphase entry. This motif bears high homology with the kinesin Kif15 and is known to interact with TPX2, a spindle assembly factor. We find that HMMR is required to dampen kinesin Eg5-mediated forces through localizing TPX2 and promoting the formation of inhibitory TPX2-Eg5 complexes. In HMMR-silenced cells, K-fiber stability is reduced while the frequency of unattached chromosomes and the time needed for chromosome segregation are both increased. These defects can be alleviated in HMMR-silenced cells with chemical inhibition of Eg5 but not through the silencing of Kif15. Together, our findings indicate that HMMR balances Eg5-­mediated forces to preserve the kinetics and integrity of chromosome segregation.

scholarly journals Real-time dynamics of Plasmodium NDC80 reveals unusual modes of chromosome segregation during parasite proliferation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Zeeshan ◽  
Rajan Pandey ◽  
David J.P. Ferguson ◽  
Eelco C. Tromer ◽  
Robert Markus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Eukaryotic Cell ◽  
Parasite Life Cycle ◽  
Mitotic Apparatus ◽  
Time Dynamics ◽  
Ndc80 Complex ◽  
Ideal Tool

AbstractEukaryotic cell proliferation requires chromosome replication and precise segregation to ensure daughter cells have identical genomic copies. The genus Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, displays remarkable aspects of nuclear division throughout its lifecycle to meet some peculiar and unique challenges of DNA replication and chromosome segregation. The parasite undergoes atypical endomitosis and endoreduplication with an intact nuclear membrane and intranuclear mitotic spindle. To understand these diverse modes of Plasmodium cell division, we have studied the behaviour and composition of the outer kinetochore NDC80 complex, a key part of the mitotic apparatus that attaches the centromere of chromosomes to microtubules of the mitotic spindle. Using NDC80-GFP live-cell imaging in Plasmodium berghei we observe dynamic spatiotemporal changes during proliferation, including highly unusual kinetochore arrangements during sexual stages. We identify a very divergent candidate for the SPC24 subunit of the NDC80 complex, previously thought to be missing in Plasmodium, which completes a canonical, albeit unusual, NDC80 complex structure. Altogether, our studies reveal the kinetochore as an ideal tool to investigate the non-canonical modes of chromosome segregation and cell division in Plasmodium.Summary StatementThe dynamic localization of kinetochore marker NDC80 protein complex during proliferative stages of the malaria parasite life cycle reveals unique modes of chromosome segregation.

scholarly journals Aurora A Protein Kinase: To the Centrosome and Beyond

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Magnaghi-Jaulin ◽  
Grégory Eot-Houllier ◽  
Emmanuel Gallaud ◽  
Régis Giet
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Aurora A ◽  
Cellular Cytoskeleton ◽  
Cytoskeletal Rearrangements ◽  
Centromeric Proteins

Accurate chromosome segregation requires the perfect spatiotemporal rearrangement of the cellular cytoskeleton. Isolated more than two decades ago from Drosophila, Aurora A is a widespread protein kinase that plays key roles during cell division. Numerous studies have described the localisation of Aurora A at centrosomes, the mitotic spindle, and, more recently, at mitotic centromeres. In this review, we will summarise the cytoskeletal rearrangements regulated by Aurora A during cell division. We will also discuss the recent discoveries showing that Aurora A also controls not only the dynamics of the cortical proteins but also regulates the centromeric proteins, revealing new roles for this kinase during cell division.

scholarly journals Precise tuning of cortical contractility regulates cell shape during cytokinesis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilay Taneja ◽  
Matthew R. Bersi ◽  
Sophie Baillargeon ◽  
Aidan M. Fenix ◽  
James A. Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Cell Shape ◽  
Molecular Motor ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Cleavage Furrow ◽  
Bleb Formation ◽  
Division Cell ◽  
Cortical Contractility ◽  
Muscle Contractile ◽  
Shape Changes

ABSTRACTThe mechanical properties of the cellular cortex regulate shape changes during cell division, cell migration and tissue morphogenesis. During cell division, contractile force generated by the molecular motor myosin II (MII) at the equatorial cortex drives cleavage furrow ingression. Cleavage furrow ingression in turn increases stresses at the polar cortex, where contractility must be regulated to maintain cell shape during cytokinesis. How polar cortex contractility controls cell shape is poorly understood. We show a balance between MII paralogs allows a fine-tuning of cortex tension at the polar cortex to maintain cell shape during cytokinesis, with MIIA driving cleavage furrow ingression and bleb formation, and MIIB serving as a stabilizing motor and mediating completion of cytokinesis. As the majority of non-muscle contractile systems are cortical, this tuning mechanism will likely be applicable to numerous processes driven by MII contractility.

scholarly journals Long astral microtubules uncouple mitotic spindles from the cytokinetic furrow

2010 ◽  
Vol 190 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen E. Rankin ◽  
Linda Wordeman
Keyword(s):  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Contractile Activity ◽  
Mitotic Spindles ◽  
Cortical Actin ◽  
Spindle Positioning ◽  
Actin Cortex ◽  
Nonmuscle Myosin Ii ◽  
Early Anaphase ◽  
Cortical Contractility ◽  
Spindle Position

Astral microtubules (MTs) are known to be important for cleavage furrow induction and spindle positioning, and loss of astral MTs has been reported to increase cortical contractility. To investigate the effect of excess astral MT activity, we depleted the MT depolymerizer mitotic centromere-associated kinesin (MCAK) from HeLa cells to produce ultra-long, astral MTs during mitosis. MCAK depletion promoted dramatic spindle rocking in early anaphase, wherein the entire mitotic spindle oscillated along the spindle axis from one proto-daughter cell to the other, driven by oscillations of cortical nonmuscle myosin II. The effect was phenocopied by taxol treatment. Live imaging revealed that cortical actin partially vacates the polar cortex in favor of the equatorial cortex during anaphase. We propose that this renders the polar actin cortex vulnerable to rupture during normal contractile activity and that long astral MTs enlarge the blebs. Excessively large blebs displace mitotic spindle position by cytoplasmic flow, triggering the oscillations as the blebs resolve.

scholarly journals Increased CDK1 activity determines the timing of kinetochore-microtubule attachments in meiosis I

2013 ◽  
Vol 202 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Davydenko ◽  
Richard M. Schultz ◽  
Michael A. Lampson
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Partial Reduction ◽  
Slow Increase ◽  
Spindle Formation ◽  
Bipolar Spindle ◽  
Nuclear Envelope Breakdown ◽  
Spindle Microtubules ◽  
Meiosis I

Chromosome segregation during cell division depends on stable attachment of kinetochores to spindle microtubules. Mitotic spindle formation and kinetochore–microtubule (K-MT) capture typically occur within minutes of nuclear envelope breakdown. In contrast, during meiosis I in mouse oocytes, formation of the acentrosomal bipolar spindle takes 3–4 h, and stabilization of K-MT attachments is delayed an additional 3–4 h. The mechanism responsible for this delay, which likely prevents stabilization of erroneous attachments during spindle formation, is unknown. Here we show that during meiosis I, attachments are regulated by CDK1 activity, which gradually increases through prometaphase and metaphase I. Partial reduction of CDK1 activity delayed formation of stable attachments, whereas a premature increase in CDK1 activity led to precocious formation of stable attachments and eventually lagging chromosomes at anaphase I. These results indicate that the slow increase in CDK1 activity in meiosis I acts as a timing mechanism to allow stable K-MT attachments only after bipolar spindle formation, thus preventing attachment errors.

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