Targeting of the RhoGEF Ect2 to the equatorial membrane controls cleavage furrow formation during cytokinesis

Mechanistic insights into the anchorage of the contractile ring by anillin and Mid1

Anillins and Mid1 are scaffold proteins that play key roles in anchorage of the contractile ring at the cell equator during cytokinesis in animals and fungi, respectively. Here, we report crystal structures and functional analysis of human anillin and S. pombe Mid1. The combined data show anillin contains a cryptic C2 domain and a Rho-binding domain. Together with the tethering PH domain, three membrane-associating elements synergistically bind to RhoA and phospholipids to anchor anillin at the cleavage furrow. Surprisingly, Mid1 also binds to the membrane through a cryptic C2 domain. Dimerization of Mid1 leads to high affinity and preference for PI(4,5)P2, which stably anchors Mid1 at the division plane, bypassing the requirement for Rho GTPase. These findings uncover the unexpected general machinery and the divergent regulatory logics for the anchorage of the contractile ring through the anillin/Mid1 family proteins from yeast to humans.

MgcRacGAP restricts active RhoA at the cytokinetic furrow and both RhoA and Rac1 at cell-cell junctions in epithelial cells

MgcRacGAP's role in regulating the spatiotemporal dynamics of active RhoA and Rac1 in epithelial cells is investigated. MgcRacGAP's GAP activity down-regulates RhoA at the furrow and both RhoA and Rac1 at cell–cell junctions in dividing epithelial cells and is required for successful cytokinesis and cell–cell junction structure. MgcRacGAP's ability to regulate adherens junctions is dependent on GAP activity and signaling via the RhoA pathway.

Localized activation of Rho GTPases is essential for multiple cellular functions, including cytokinesis and formation and maintenance of cell–cell junctions. Although MgcRacGAP (Mgc) is required for spatially confined RhoA-GTP at the equatorial cortex of dividing cells, both the target specificity of Mgc's GAP activity and the involvement of phosphorylation of Mgc at Ser-386 are controversial. In addition, Mgc's function at cell–cell junctions remains unclear. Here, using gastrula-stage Xenopus laevis embryos as a model system, we examine Mgc's role in regulating localized RhoA-GTP and Rac1-GTP in the intact vertebrate epithelium. We show that Mgc's GAP activity spatially restricts accumulation of both RhoA-GTP and Rac1-GTP in epithelial cells—RhoA at the cleavage furrow and RhoA and Rac1 at cell–cell junctions. Phosphorylation at Ser-386 does not switch the specificity of Mgc's GAP activity and is not required for successful cytokinesis. Furthermore, Mgc regulates adherens junction but not tight junction structure, and the ability to regulate adherens junctions is dependent on GAP activity and signaling via the RhoA pathway. Together these results indicate that Mgc's GAP activity down-regulates the active populations of RhoA and Rac1 at localized regions of epithelial cells and is necessary for successful cytokinesis and cell–cell junction structure.

Annexin A2 is required for the early steps of cytokinesis

Cytokinesis requires the formation of an actomyosin contractile ring between the two sets of sister chromatids. Annexin A2 is a calcium- and phospholipid-binding protein implicated in cortical actin remodeling. We report that annexin A2 accumulates at the equatorial cortex at the onset of cytokinesis and depletion of annexin A2 results in cytokinetic failure, due to a defective cleavage furrow assembly. In the absence of annexin A2, the small GTPase RhoA-which regulates cortical cytoskeletal rearrangement-fails to form a compact ring at the equatorial plane. Furthermore, annexin A2 is required for cortical localization of the RhoGEF Ect2 and to maintain the association between the equatorial cortex and the central spindle. Our results demonstrate that annexin A2 is necessary in the early phase of cytokinesis. We propose that annexin A2 participates in central spindle-equatorial plasma membrane communication.

Annexin V-induced rat Leydig cell proliferation involves Ect2 via RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway

This study investigated the effect of annexin V on the proliferation of primary rat Leydig cells and the potential mechanism. Our results showed that annexin V promoted rat Leydig cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Increased level of annexin V also enhanced Ect2 protein expression. However, siRNA knockdown of Ect2 attenuated annexin V-induced proliferation of rat Leydig cells. Taken together, these data suggest that increased level of annexin V induced rat Leydig cell proliferation and cell cycle progression via Ect2. Since RhoA activity was increased following Ect2 activation, we further investigated whether Ect2 was involved in annexin V-induced proliferation via the RhoA/ROCK pathway, and the results showed that annexin V increased RhoA activity too, and this effect was abolished by the knockdown of Ect2. Moreover, inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK pathway by a ROCK inhibitor, Y27632, also attenuated annexin V-induced proliferation and cell cycle progression. We thus conclude that Ect2 is involved in annexin V-induced rat Leydig cell proliferation through the RhoA/ROCK pathway.

The multiple cellular functions of the oncoprotein Golgi phosphoprotein 3

The highly conserved Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) protein, a component of Trans-Golgi Network (TGN), has been defined as a "first-in-class Golgi oncoprotein" and characterized as a Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P] effector at the Golgi. GOLPH3 is commonly amplified in several solid tumors. Furthermore this protein has been associated with poor prognosis in many cancers. Highly conserved from yeast to humans, GOLPH3 provides an essential function in vesicle trafficking and Golgi structure. Recent data have also implicated this oncoprotein in regulation of cytokinesis, modulation of mitochondrial mass and cellular response to DNA damage. A minute dissection of the molecular pathways that require GOLPH3 protein will be helpful to develop new therapeutic cancer strategies.

Cytokinetic abscission: molecular mechanisms and temporal control

Cytokinesis mediates the physical separation of dividing cells after chromosome segregation. In animal cell cytokinesis, a contractile ring, mainly composed of actin and myosin filaments, ingresses a cleavage furrow midway between the two spindle poles. A distinct machinery, involving the endosomal sorting complex required for transport III (ESCRT-III), subsequently splits the plasma membrane of nascent daughter cells in a process termed abscission. Here, we provide a brief overview of early cytokinesis events in animal cells and then cover in depth recently emerging models for the assembly and function of the abscission machinery and its temporal coordination with chromosome segregation.

Ect2/Pbl acts via Rho and polarity proteins to direct the assembly of an isotropic actomyosin cortex upon mitotic entry

Entry into mitosis is accompanied by profound changes in cortical actomyosin organization. Here, we delineate a pathway downstream of the RhoGEF Pbl/Ect2 that directs this process in a model epithelium. Our data suggest that the release of Pbl/Ect2 from the nucleus at mitotic entry drives Rho-dependent activation of Myosin-II and, in parallel, induces a switch from Arp2/3 to Diaphanous-mediated cortical actin nucleation that depends on Cdc42, aPKC, and Par6. At the same time, the mitotic relocalization of these apical protein complexes to more lateral cell surfaces enables Cdc42/aPKC/Par6 to take on a mitosis-specific function—aiding the assembly of a relatively isotropic metaphase cortex. Together, these data reveal how the repolarization and remodeling of the actomyosin cortex are coordinated upon entry into mitosis to provide cells with the isotropic and rigid form they need to undergo faithful chromosome segregation and division in a crowded tissue environment.

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Pbl/Ect2 drives a shift in epithelial polarity upon entry into mitosis

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Lateral spreading of Cdc42/aPKC/Par6 aids assembly of an isotropic metaphase cortex

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Mitosis triggers a switch from Arp2/3 to Dia-mediated cortical actin nucleation

Cytokinesis in animal cells

Cell division ends with the physical separation of the two daughter cells, a process known as cytokinesis. This final event ensures that nuclear and cytoplasmic contents are accurately partitioned between the two nascent cells. Cytokinesis is one of the most dramatic changes in cell shape and requires an extensive reorganization of the cell's cytoskeleton. Here, we describe the cytoskeletal structures, factors, and signaling pathways that orchestrate this robust and yet highly dynamic process in animal cells. Finally, we discuss possible future directions in this growing area of cell division research and its implications in human diseases, including cancer.

Functional genomics identifies a requirement of pre-mRNA splicing factors for sister chromatid cohesion

Sister chromatid cohesion mediated by the cohesin complex is essential for chromosome segregation during cell division. Using functional genomic screening, we identify a set of 26 pre-mRNA splicing factors that are required for sister chromatid cohesion in human cells. Loss of spliceosome subunits increases the dissociation rate of cohesin from chromatin and abrogates cohesion after DNA replication, ultimately causing mitotic catastrophe. Depletion of splicing factors causes defective processing of the pre-mRNA encoding sororin, a factor required for the stable association of cohesin with chromatin, and an associated reduction of sororin protein level. Expression of an intronless version of sororin and depletion of the cohesin release protein WAPL suppress the cohesion defect in cells lacking splicing factors. We propose that spliceosome components contribute to sister chromatid cohesion and mitotic chromosome segregation through splicing of sororin pre-mRNA. Our results highlight the loss of cohesion as an early cellular consequence of compromised splicing. This may have clinical implications because SF3B1, a splicing factor that we identify to be essential for cohesion, is recurrently mutated in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Phosphoinositides: Lipids with informative heads and mastermind functions in cell division

Phosphoinositides are low abundant but essential phospholipids in eukaryotic cells and refer to phosphatidylinositol and its seven polyphospho-derivatives. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on phosphoinositides in multiple aspects of cell division in animal cells, including mitotic cell rounding, longitudinal cell elongation, cytokinesis furrow ingression, intercellular bridge abscission and post-cytokinesis events. PtdIns(4,5)P₂production plays critical roles in spindle orientation, mitotic cell shape and bridge stability after furrow ingression by recruiting force generator complexes and numerous cytoskeleton binding proteins. Later, PtdIns(4,5)P₂hydrolysis and PtdIns3P production are essential for normal cytokinesis abscission. Finally, emerging functions of PtdIns3P and likely PtdIns(4,5)P₂have recently been reported for midbody remnant clearance after abscission. We describe how the multiple functions of phosphoinositides in cell division reflect their distinct roles in local recruitment of protein complexes, membrane traffic and cytoskeleton remodeling. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Phosphoinositides.

An astral simulacrum of the central spindle accounts for normal, spindle-less, and anucleate cytokinesis in echinoderm embryos

Live imaging of Ect2 and Cyk4 in echinoderm embryos shows successive recruitment to central spindle, astral microtubules, and the cleavage furrow not only in normal cells, but also between paired asters in toroidal or anucleate cells. This suggests that a common signaling ensemble underlies all functional cytokinetic furrow induction events.

Cytokinesis in animal cells depends on spindle-derived spatial cues that culminate in Rho activation, and thereby actomyosin assembly, in a narrow equatorial band. Although the nature, origin, and variety of such cues have long been obscure, one component is certainly the Rho activator Ect2. Here we describe the behavior and function of Ect2 in echinoderm embryos, showing that Ect2 migrates from spindle midzone to astral microtubules in anaphase and that Ect2 shapes the pattern of Rho activation in incipient furrows. Our key finding is that Ect2 and its binding partner Cyk4 accumulate not only at normal furrows, but also at furrows that form in the absence of associated spindle, midzone, or chromosomes. In all these cases, the cell assembles essentially the same cytokinetic signaling ensemble—opposed astral microtubules decorated with Ect2 and Cyk4. We conclude that if multiple signals contribute to furrow induction in echinoderm embryos, they likely converge on the same signaling ensemble on an analogous cytoskeletal scaffold.

Controlling the switches: Rho GTPase regulation during animal cell mitosis

Animal cell division is a fundamental process that requires complex changes in cytoskeletal organization and function. Aberrant cell division often has disastrous consequences for the cell and can lead to cell senescence, neoplastic transformation or death. As important regulators of the actin cytoskeleton, Rho GTPases play major roles in regulating many aspects of mitosis and cytokinesis. These include centrosome duplication and separation, generation of cortical rigidity, microtubule-kinetochore stabilization, cleavage furrow formation, contractile ring formation and constriction, and abscission. The ability of Rho proteins to function as regulators of cell division depends on their ability to cycle between their active, GTP-bound and inactive, GDP-bound states. However, Rho proteins are inherently inefficient at fulfilling this cycle and require the actions of regulatory proteins that enhance GTP binding (RhoGEFs), stimulate GTPase activity (RhoGAPs), and sequester inactive Rho proteins in the cytosol (RhoGDIs). The roles of these regulatory proteins in controlling cell division are an area of active investigation. In this review we will delineate the current state of knowledge of how specific RhoGEFs, RhoGAPs and RhoGDIs control mitosis and cytokinesis, and highlight the mechanisms by which their functions are controlled.

High-resolution temporal analysis reveals a functional timeline for the molecular regulation of cytokinesis

To take full advantage of fast-acting temperature-sensitive mutations, thermal control must be extremely rapid. We developed the Therminator, a device capable of shifting sample temperature in ~17 s while simultaneously imaging cell division in vivo. Applying this technology to six key regulators of cytokinesis, we found that each has a distinct temporal requirement in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote. Specifically, myosin-II is required throughout cytokinesis until contractile ring closure. In contrast, formin-mediated actin nucleation is only required during assembly and early contractile ring constriction. Centralspindlin is required to maintain division after ring closure, although its GAP activity is only required until just prior to closure. Finally, the chromosomal passenger complex is required for cytokinesis only early in mitosis, but not during metaphase or cytokinesis. Together, our results provide a precise functional timeline for molecular regulators of cytokinesis using the Therminator, a powerful tool for ultra-rapid protein inactivation.

Furrow constriction in animal cell cytokinesis

Cytokinesis is the process of physical cleavage at the end of cell division; it proceeds by ingression of an acto-myosin furrow at the equator of the cell. Its failure leads to multinucleated cells and is a possible cause of tumorigenesis. Here, we calculate the full dynamics of furrow ingression and predict cytokinesis completion above a well-defined threshold of equatorial contractility. The cortical acto-myosin is identified as the main source of mechanical dissipation and active forces. Thereupon, we propose a viscous active nonlinear membrane theory of the cortex that explicitly includes actin turnover and where the active RhoA signal leads to an equatorial band of myosin overactivity. The resulting cortex deformation is calculated numerically, and reproduces well the features of cytokinesis such as cell shape and cortical flows toward the equator. Our theory gives a physical explanation of the independence of cytokinesis duration on cell size in embryos. It also predicts a critical role of turnover on the rate and success of furrow constriction. Scaling arguments allow for a simple interpretation of the numerical results and unveil the key mechanism that generates the threshold for cytokinesis completion: cytoplasmic incompressibility results in a competition between the furrow line tension and the cell poles' surface tension.

Rho GTPases as regulators of mitosis and cytokinesis in mammalian cells

Rho GTPases regulate a diverse range of cellular functions primarily through their ability to modulate microtubule dynamics and the actin-myosin cytoskeleton. Both of these cytoskeletal structures are crucial for a mitotic cell division. Specifically, their assembly and disassembly is tightly regulated in a temporal manner to ensure that each mitotic stage occurs in the correct sequential order and not prematurely until the previous stage is completed. Thus, it is not surprising that the Rho GTPases, RhoA, and Cdc42, have reported roles in several stages of mitosis: cell cortex stiffening during cell rounding, mitotic spindle formation, and bi-orient attachment of the spindle microtubules to the kinetochore and during cytokinesis play multiple roles in establishing the division plane, assembly, and activation of the contractile ring, membrane ingression, and abscission. Here, I review the molecular mechanisms regulating the spatial and temporal activation of RhoA and Cdc42 during mitosis, and how this is critical for mitotic progression and completion.

GOLPH3 is essential for contractile ring formation and Rab11 localization to the cleavage site during cytokinesis in Drosophila melanogaster

The highly conserved Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) protein has been described as a Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P] effector at the Golgi. GOLPH3 is also known as a potent oncogene, commonly amplified in several human tumors. However, the molecular pathways through which the oncoprotein GOLPH3 acts in malignant transformation are largely unknown. GOLPH3 has never been involved in cytokinesis. Here, we characterize the Drosophila melanogaster homologue of human GOLPH3 during cell division. We show that GOLPH3 accumulates at the cleavage furrow and is required for successful cytokinesis in Drosophila spermatocytes and larval neuroblasts. In premeiotic spermatocytes GOLPH3 protein is required for maintaining the organization of Golgi stacks. In dividing spermatocytes GOLPH3 is essential for both contractile ring and central spindle formation during cytokinesis. Wild type function of GOLPH3 enables maintenance of centralspindlin and Rho1 at cell equator and stabilization of Myosin II and Septin rings. We demonstrate that the molecular mechanism underlying GOLPH3 function in cytokinesis is strictly dependent on the ability of this protein to interact with PI(4)P. Mutations that abolish PI(4)P binding impair recruitment of GOLPH3 to both the Golgi and the cleavage furrow. Moreover telophase cells from mutants with defective GOLPH3-PI(4)P interaction fail to accumulate PI(4)P-and Rab11-associated secretory organelles at the cleavage site. Finally, we show that GOLPH3 protein interacts with components of both cytokinesis and membrane trafficking machineries in Drosophila cells. Based on these results we propose that GOLPH3 acts as a key molecule to coordinate phosphoinositide signaling with actomyosin dynamics and vesicle trafficking during cytokinesis. Because cytokinesis failures have been associated with premalignant disease and cancer, our studies suggest novel insight into molecular circuits involving the oncogene GOLPH3 in cytokinesis.

In animal cell cytokinesis, constriction of an actomyosin ring at the equatorial cortex of dividing cells must be finely coordinated with plasma membrane remodeling and vesicle trafficking at the cleavage furrow. Accurate control of these events during cell cleavage is essential for maintaining ploidy and preventing neoplastic transformation. GOLPH3 has been recognized as a potent oncogene, involved in the development of several human tumors. However, the precise roles played by GOLPH3 in tumorigenesis are not yet understood. In this manuscript we demonstrate for the first time the requirement for GOLPH3 for cytokinesis. GOLPH3 protein localizes at the cleavage site of Drosophila dividing cells and is essential for cytokinesis in male meiotic cells and larval neuroblasts. We show that this protein acts as a key molecule in coupling plasma membrane remodeling with actomyosin ring assembly and stability during cytokinesis. Our studies indicate a novel connection between GOLPH3 and the molecular mechanisms of cytokinesis, opening new fields of investigation into the tumor cell biology of this oncogene.

Next-generation transcriptome sequencing of the premenopausal breast epithelium using specimens from a normal human breast tissue bank

Introduction

Our efforts to prevent and treat breast cancer are significantly impeded by a lack of knowledge of the biology and developmental genetics of the normal mammary gland. In order to provide the specimens that will facilitate such an understanding, The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center (KTB) was established. The KTB is, to our knowledge, the only biorepository in the world prospectively established to collect normal, healthy breast tissue from volunteer donors. As a first initiative toward a molecular understanding of the biology and developmental genetics of the normal mammary gland, the effect of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives on DNA expression in the normal breast epithelium was examined.

Methods

Using normal breast tissue from 20 premenopausal donors to KTB, the changes in the mRNA of the normal breast epithelium as a function of phase of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraception were assayed using next-generation whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq).

Results

In total, 255 genes representing 1.4% of all genes were deemed to have statistically significant differential expression between the two phases of the menstrual cycle. The overwhelming majority (221; 87%) of the genes have higher expression during the luteal phase. These data provide important insights into the processes occurring during each phase of the menstrual cycle. There was only a single gene significantly differentially expressed when comparing the epithelium of women using hormonal contraception to those in the luteal phase.

Conclusions

We have taken advantage of a unique research resource, the KTB, to complete the first-ever next-generation transcriptome sequencing of the epithelial compartment of 20 normal human breast specimens. This work has produced a comprehensive catalog of the differences in the expression of protein-coding genes as a function of the phase of the menstrual cycle. These data constitute the beginning of a reference data set of the normal mammary gland, which can be consulted for comparison with data developed from malignant specimens, or to mine the effects of the hormonal flux that occurs during the menstrual cycle.

Partial inhibition of Cdk1 in G 2 phase overrides the SAC and decouples mitotic events

Entry and progression through mitosis has traditionally been linked directly to the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1). In this study we utilized low doses of the Cdk1-specific inhibitor, RO3306 from early G₂ phase onwards. Addition of low doses of RO3306 in G₂ phase induced minor chromosome congression and segregation defects. In contrast, mild doses of RO3306 during G₂ phase resulted in cells entering an aberrant mitosis, with cells fragmenting centrosomes and failing to fully disassemble the nuclear envelope. Cells often underwent cytokinesis and metaphase simultaneously, despite the presence of an active spindle assembly checkpoint, which prevented degradation of cyclin B1 and securin, resulting in the random partitioning of whole chromosomes. This highly aberrant mitosis produced a significant increase in the proportion of viable polyploid cells present up to 3 days post-treatment. Furthermore, cells treated with medium doses of RO3306 were only able to reach the threshold of Cdk1 substrate phosphorylation required to initiate nuclear envelope breakdown, but failed to reach the levels of phosphorylation required to correctly complete pro-metaphase. Treatment with low doses of Okadaic acid, which primarily inhibits PP2A, rescued the mitotic defects and increased the number of cells that completed a normal mitosis. This supports the current model that PP2A is the primary phosphatase that counterbalances the activity of Cdk1 during mitosis. Taken together these results show that continuous and subtle disruption of Cdk1 activity from G₂ phase onwards has deleterious consequences on mitotic progression by disrupting the balance between Cdk1 and PP2A.

Anillin interacts with microtubules and is part of the astral pathway that defines cortical domains

Cytokinesis occurs by the ingression of an actomyosin ring that separates the cell into two daughter cells. The mitotic spindle, comprised of astral and central spindle microtubules, couples contractile ring ingression with DNA segregation. Cues from the central spindle activate RhoA, the upstream regulator of the contractile ring. However, additional cues from the astral microtubules also reinforce the localization of active RhoA. Using human cells, we show that astral and central spindle microtubules independently control the localization of contractile proteins during cytokinesis. Astral microtubules restrict the accumulation and localization of contractile proteins during mitosis, while the central spindle forms a discrete ring by directing RhoA activation in the equatorial plane. Anillin stabilizes the contractile ring during cytokinesis. We show that human anillin interacts with astral microtubules, which is competed by its cortical recruitment by active RhoA. Anillin restricts the localization of myosin at the equatorial cortex, and NuMA (part of the microtubule-tethering complex that regulates spindle position) at the polar cortex. The sequestration of anillin by astral microtubules may alter the organization of cortical proteins to polarize cells for cytokinesis.

Centralspindlin assembly and 2 phosphorylations on MgcRacGAP by Polo-like kinase 1 initiate Ect2 binding in early cytokinesis

Cytokinesis is the final step of cell division which partitions genetic and cytosolic content into daughter cells. Failed cytokinesis causes polyploidy, genetic instability, and cancer. Kinases use phosphorylation to regulate the timing and location of the cytokinetic furrow. Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is an essential mitotic kinase that triggers cytokinesis by phosphorylating MgcRacGAP to create a docking site for Ect2 at the central spindle. Ect2 binds to MgcRacGAP via its N-terminal BRCT domain (BRCA1 C-terminal), which docks at specific phosphorylated residues. Here we investigate the minimal Plk1-dependent phosphorylation sites required for cytokinesis onset. We demonstrate that phosphorylation of the major MgcRacGAP site, S157, is necessary but not sufficient to bind the Ect2 BRCT domain. Phosphorylation of an additional residue on MgcRacGAP at S164 is also required to elicit efficient binding. Surprisingly, BRCT binding additionally requires MKLP1 and its cognate interacting N-terminal domain of MgcRacGAP. Our findings indicate that central spindle assembly and 2 Plk1-dependent phosphorylations are required to establish efficient binding of the Ect2 BRCT in early cytokinesis. We propose that these requirements establish a high threshold to restrain premature or ectopic cytokinesis.

Signaling Pathway that Controls Plant Cytokinesis

Cytokinesis is the final process of cell division cycle that properly separates cytoplasmic components and duplicated nuclei into two daughter cells. Plant cytokinesis occurs in phragmoplast, the cytokinetic machinery composed mainly of microtubule (MT) arrays. Recent studies have revealed that a plant-specific mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is involved in cytokinesis. The activity of this cascade is controlled by cytokinesis-specific kinesin called NACK in tobacco and Arabidopsis, which is required for the cell plate formation in the phragmoplast. Functions of NACK are strictly controlled by cyclin-dependent kinase/cyclin B complexes so as to be activated at the correct timing for cytokinesis. Thus, this pathway constitutes a part of the regulatory system controlling the cell cycle progression. Here, we review recent advancements for understanding how the activation of this pathway can be specified in the late stage of the M phase and how this MAPK cascade can control cytokinesis through MT turnover.

Cell cycle-regulated membrane binding of NuMA contributes to efficient anaphase chromosome separation

The mitotic apparatus protein NuMA has an intrinsic membrane-targeting mechanism that is regulated by CDK1-mediated phosphorylation, underlies anaphase-specific cortical accumulation of dynein, and contributes to chromosome separation.

Accurate and efficient separation of sister chromatids during anaphase is critical for faithful cell division. It has been proposed that cortical dynein–generated pulling forces on astral microtubules contribute to anaphase spindle elongation and chromosome separation. In mammalian cells, however, definitive evidence for the involvement of cortical dynein in chromosome separation is missing. It is believed that dynein is recruited and anchored at the cell cortex during mitosis by the α subunit of heterotrimeric G protein (Gα)/mammalian homologue of Drosophila Partner of Inscuteable/nuclear mitotic apparatus (NuMA) ternary complex. Here we uncover a Gα/LGN-independent lipid- and membrane-binding domain at the C-terminus of NuMA. We show that the membrane binding of NuMA is cell cycle regulated—it is inhibited during prophase and metaphase by cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1)–mediated phosphorylation and only occurs after anaphase onset when CDK1 activity is down-regulated. Further studies indicate that cell cycle–regulated membrane association of NuMA underlies anaphase-specific enhancement of cortical NuMA and dynein. By replacing endogenous NuMA with membrane-binding-deficient NuMA, we can specifically reduce the cortical accumulation of NuMA and dynein during anaphase and demonstrate that cortical NuMA and dynein contribute to efficient chromosome separation in mammalian cells.

Single cell pattern formation and transient cytoskeletal arrays

A major goal of developmental biology is to explain the emergence of pattern in cell layers, tissues and organs. Developmental biologists now accept that reaction diffusion-based mechanisms are broadly employed in developing organisms to direct pattern formation. Here we briefly consider these mechanisms and then apply some of the concepts derived from them to several processes that occur in single cells: wound repair, yeast budding, and cytokinesis. Two conclusions emerge from this analysis: first, there is considerable overlap at the level of general mechanisms between developmental and single cell pattern formation; second, dynamic structures based on the actin cytoskeleton may be far more ordered than is generally recognized.

RCP-driven α5β1 recycling suppresses Rac and promotes RhoA activity via the RacGAP1-IQGAP1 complex

Inhibition of αvβ3 or expression of mutant p53 promotes invasion into fibronectin (FN)-containing extracellular matrix (ECM) by enhancing Rab-coupling protein (RCP)-dependent recycling of α5β1 integrin. RCP and α5β1 cooperatively recruit receptor tyrosine kinases, including EGFR1, to regulate their trafficking and downstream signaling via protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt, which, in turn, promotes invasive migration. In this paper, we identify a novel PKB/Akt substrate, RacGAP1, which is phosphorylated as a consequence of RCP-dependent α5β1 trafficking. Phosphorylation of RacGAP1 promotes its recruitment to IQGAP1 at the tips of invasive pseudopods, and RacGAP1 then locally suppresses the activity of the cytoskeletal regulator Rac and promotes the activity of RhoA in this subcellular region. This Rac to RhoA switch promotes the extension of pseudopodial processes and invasive migration into FN-containing matrices, in a RhoA-dependent manner. Thus, the localized endocytic trafficking of α5β1 within the tips of invasive pseudopods elicits signals that promote the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, protrusion, and invasion into FN-rich ECM.

A conserved RhoGAP limits M phase contractility and coordinates with microtubule asters to confine RhoA during cytokinesis

During animal cell cytokinesis, the spindle directs contractile ring assembly by activating RhoA in a narrow equatorial zone. Rapid GTPase activating protein (GAP)-mediated inactivation (RhoA flux) is proposed to limit RhoA zone dimensions. Testing the significance of RhoA flux has been hampered by the fact that the GAP targeting RhoA is not known. Here, we identify M phase GAP (MP-GAP) as the primary GAP targeting RhoA during mitosis and cytokinesis. MP-GAP inhibition caused excessive RhoA activation in M phase, leading to the uncontrolled formation of large cortical protrusions and late cytokinesis failure. RhoA zone width was broadened by attenuation of the centrosomal asters but was not affected by MP-GAP inhibition alone. Simultaneous aster attenuation and MP-GAP inhibition led to RhoA accumulation around the entire cell periphery. These results identify the major GAP restraining RhoA during cell division and delineate the relative contributions of RhoA flux and centrosomal asters in controlling RhoA zone dimensions.

Cooperation between Rho-GEF Gef2 and its binding partner Nod1 in the regulation of fission yeast cytokinesis

Previous results showed that putative Rho-GEF Gef2 regulates division-site positioning during early cytokinesis in fission yeast. Here Nod1 is identified as a binding partner of Gef2. The two proteins form a complex to regulate division-site positioning and contractile-ring maintenance. In addition, Gef2 binds to GTPases Rho1, Rho4, and Rho5 in vitro.

Cytokinesis is the last step of the cell-division cycle, which requires precise spatial and temporal regulation to ensure genetic stability. Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (Rho GEFs) and Rho GTPases are among the key regulators of cytokinesis. We previously found that putative Rho-GEF Gef2 coordinates with Polo kinase Plo1 to control the medial cortical localization of anillin-like protein Mid1 in fission yeast. Here we show that an adaptor protein, Nod1, colocalizes with Gef2 in the contractile ring and its precursor cortical nodes. Like gef2∆, nod1∆ has strong genetic interactions with various cytokinesis mutants involved in division-site positioning, suggesting a role of Nod1 in early cytokinesis. We find that Nod1 and Gef2 interact through the C-termini, which is important for their localization. The contractile-ring localization of Nod1 and Gef2 also depends on the interaction between Nod1 and the F-BAR protein Cdc15, where the Nod1/Gef2 complex plays a role in contractile-ring maintenance and affects the septation initiation network. Moreover, Gef2 binds to purified GTPases Rho1, Rho4, and Rho5 in vitro. Taken together, our data indicate that Nod1 and Gef2 function cooperatively in a protein complex to regulate fission yeast cytokinesis.

Leukemia-associated RhoGEF (LARG) is a novel RhoGEF in cytokinesis and required for the proper completion of abscission

This study demonstrates a novel and unexpected role in cytokinesis for leukemia-associated RhoGEF (LARG). Depletion of LARG results in delayed abscission, and thus LARG is the first RhoGEF to be implicated in late cytokinesis.

Proper completion of mitosis requires the concerted effort of multiple RhoGEFs. Here we show that leukemia-associated RhoGEF (LARG), a RhoA-specific RGS-RhoGEF, is required for abscission, the final stage of cytokinesis, in which the intercellular membrane is cleaved between daughter cells. LARG colocalizes with α-tubulin at the spindle poles before localizing to the central spindle. During cytokinesis, LARG is condensed in the midbody, where it colocalizes with RhoA. HeLa cells depleted of LARG display apoptosis during cytokinesis with unresolved intercellular bridges, and rescue experiments show that expression of small interfering RNA–resistant LARG prevents this apoptosis. Moreover, live cell imaging of LARG-depleted cells reveals greatly delayed fission kinetics in abscission in which a population of cells with persistent bridges undergoes apoptosis; however, the delayed fission kinetics is rescued by Aurora-B inhibition. The formation of a Flemming body and thinning of microtubules in the intercellular bridge of cells depleted of LARG is consistent with a defect in late cytokinesis, just before the abscission event. In contrast to studies of other RhoGEFs, particularly Ect2 and GEF-H1, LARG depletion does not result in cytokinetic furrow regression nor does it affect internal mitotic timing. These results show that LARG is a novel and temporally distinct RhoGEF required for completion of abscission.

PDZ-RhoGEF is essential for CXCR4-driven breast tumor cell motility through spatial regulation of RhoA

The CXCL12-CXCR4 chemokine signaling pathway is a well-established driver of cancer progression. One key process promoted by CXCR4 stimulation is tumor cell motility; however, the specific signaling pathways leading to migration remain poorly understood. Previously, we have shown that CXCL12 stimulation of migration depends on temporal regulation of RhoA. However, the specific RhoGEF that translates CXCR4 signaling into RhoA activity and cell motility is unknown. We screened the three regulator of G-protein signaling RhoGEFs (LSC, LARG and PRG) and found that PRG selectively regulated the migration and invasion of CXCR4-overexpressing breast tumor cells. Interestingly, we found that PDZ-RhoGEF (PRG) was required for spatial organization of F-actin structures in the center, but not periphery of the cells. The effects on the cytoskeleton were mirrored by the spatial effects on RhoA activity that were dependent upon PRG. Loss of PRG also enhanced adherens junctions in the epithelial-like MCF7-CXCR4 cell line, and inhibited directional persistence and polarity in the more mesenchymal MDA-MB-231 cell line. Thus, PRG is essential for CXCR4-driven tumor cell migration through spatial regulation of RhoA and the subsequent organization of the cytoskeletal structures that support motility. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis of human breast tumor tissues shows a significant increase of PRG expression in the invasive areas of the tumors, suggesting that this RhoGEF is associated with breast tumor invasion in vivo.

A spindle-independent cleavage pathway controls germ cell formation in Drosophila

The primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the first cells to form during Drosophila melanogaster embryogenesis. While the process of somatic cell formation has been studied in detail, the mechanics of PGC formation are poorly understood. Here, using 4D multi-photon imaging combined with genetic and pharmacological manipulations, we find that PGC formation requires an anaphase spindle-independent cleavage pathway. In addition to utilizing core regulators of cleavage, including the small GTPase RhoA (Drosophila Rho) and the Rho associated kinase, ROCK (Drosophila Rok), we show that this pathway requires Germ cell-less (Gcl), a conserved BTB-domain protein not previously implicated in cleavage mechanics. This alternate form of cell formation suggests that organisms have evolved multiple molecular strategies for regulating the cytoskeleton during cleavage.

Citron kinase controls a molecular network required for midbody formation in cytokinesis

Cytokinesis partitions cytoplasmic and genomic materials at the end of cell division. Failure in this process causes polyploidy, which in turn can generate chromosomal instability, a hallmark of many cancers. Successful cytokinesis requires cooperative interaction between contractile ring and central spindle components, but how this cooperation is established is poorly understood. Here we show that Sticky (Sti), the Drosophila ortholog of the contractile ring component Citron kinase (CIT-K), interacts directly with two kinesins, Nebbish [the fly counterpart of human kinesin family member 14 (KIF14)] and Pavarotti [the Drosophila ortholog of human mitotic kinesin-like protein 1 (MKLP1)], and that in turn these kinesins interact with each other and with another central spindle protein, Fascetto [the fly ortholog of protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1)]. Sti recruits Nebbish to the cleavage furrow, and both proteins are required for midbody formation and proper localization of Pavarotti and Fascetto. These functions require Sti kinase activity, indicating that Sti plays both structural and regulatory roles in midbody formation. Finally, we show that CIT-K's role in midbody formation is conserved in human cells. Our findings indicate that CIT-K is likely to act at the top of the midbody-formation hierarchy by connecting and regulating a molecular network of contractile ring components and microtubule-associated proteins.

Mechanisms of CDC-42 activation during contact-induced cell polarization

Polarization of early embryos provides a foundation to execute essential patterning and morphogenetic events. In Caenorhabditis elegans, cell contacts polarize early embryos along their radial axis by excluding the cortical polarity protein PAR-6 from sites of cell contact, thereby restricting PAR-6 to contact-free cell surfaces. Radial polarization requires the cortically enriched Rho GTPase CDC-42, which in its active form recruits PAR-6 through direct binding. The Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP) PAC-1, which localizes specifically to cell contacts, triggers radial polarization by inactivating CDC-42 at these sites. The mechanisms responsible for activating CDC-42 at contact-free surfaces are unknown. Here, in an overexpression screen of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs), which can activate Rho GTPases, we identify CGEF-1 and ECT-2 as RhoGEFs that act through CDC-42 to recruit PAR-6 to the cortex. We show that ECT-2 and CGEF-1 localize to the cell surface and that removing their activity causes a reduction in levels of cortical PAR-6. Through a structure-function analysis, we show that the tandem DH-PH domains of CGEF-1 and ECT-2 are sufficient for GEF activity, but that regions outside of these domains target each protein to the cell surface. Finally, we provide evidence suggesting that the N-terminal region of ECT-2 may direct its in vivo preference for CDC-42 over another known target, the Rho GTPase RHO-1. We propose that radial polarization results from a competition between RhoGEFs, which activate CDC-42 throughout the cortex, and the RhoGAP PAC-1, which inactivates CDC-42 at cell contacts.

CYK4 inhibits Rac1-dependent PAK1 and ARHGEF7 effector pathways during cytokinesis

In mitosis, animal cells lose their adhesion to the surrounding surfaces and become rounded. During mitotic exit, they reestablish these adhesions and at the same time physically contract and divide. How these competing processes are spatially segregated at the cell cortex remains mysterious. To address this question, we define the specific effector pathways used by RhoA and Rac1 in mitotic cells. We demonstrate that the MKlp1-CYK4 centralspindlin complex is a guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein (GAP) for Rac1 and not RhoA and that CYK4 negatively regulated Rac1 activity at the cell equator in anaphase. Cells expressing a CYK4 GAP mutant had defects in cytokinesis and showed elevated staining for the cell adhesion marker vinculin. These defects could be rescued by depletion of ARHGEF7 and p21-activated kinase, Rac1-specific effector proteins required for cell adhesion. Based on these findings, we propose that CYK4 GAP activity is required during anaphase to inhibit Rac1-dependent effector pathways associated with control of cell spreading and adhesion.

A postmitotic function and distinct localization mechanism for centralspindlin at a stable intercellular bridge

Centralspindlin, a complex composed of the subunits ZEN-4 and CYK-4, recruits and regulates proteins that modulate the actin cytoskeleton to promote cleavage furrow formation and progression during cytokinesis. The ZEN-4 subunit is a kinesin that is proposed to function primarily by bundling microtubules and promoting transport of the complex to the midzone. ZEN-4 and CYK-4 are mutually dependent for localization to the midzone during cytokinesis. Once at the midzone, the CYK-4 subunit functions to recruit actin regulators and the scaffold anillin as well as to regulate RhoA and Rac via its intrinsic GAP domain, ultimately promoting actomyosin contractile ring assembly. We have revealed a distinct mechanism for centralspindlin localization and function at a stable, postmitotic intercellular bridge in the Caenorhabditis elegans gonad. Loss of zen-4 or cyk-4 function disrupts germ cell progression postmitotically. In contrast to the localization and recruitment relationships during mitosis, centralspindlin is maintained at the intercellular bridge by anillin, and CYK-4 is localized independently of ZEN-4 but not vice versa. We present evidence that centralspindlin function at the rachis bridge involves ZEN-4 action on the microtubules as opposed to the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton mediated by CYK-4 during cytokinesis.

Centralspindlin links the mitotic spindle to the plasma membrane during cytokinesis

At the end of cell division, cytokinesis splits the cytoplasm of nascent daughter cells and partitions segregated sister genomes. To coordinate cell division with chromosome segregation, the mitotic spindle controls cytokinetic events at the cell envelope. The spindle midzone stimulates the actomyosin-driven contraction of the cleavage furrow, which proceeds until the formation of a microtubule-rich intercellular bridge with the midbody at its centre. The midbody directs the final membrane abscission reaction and has been proposed to attach the cleavage furrow to the intercellular bridge. How the mitotic spindle is connected to the plasma membrane during cytokinesis is not understood. Here we identify a plasma membrane tethering activity in the centralspindlin protein complex, a conserved component of the spindle midzone and midbody. We demonstrate that the C1 domain of the centralspindlin subunit MgcRacGAP associates with the plasma membrane by interacting with polyanionic phosphoinositide lipids. Using X-ray crystallography we determine the structure of this atypical C1 domain. Mutations in the hydrophobic cap and in basic residues of the C1 domain of MgcRacGAP prevent association of the protein with the plasma membrane, and abrogate cytokinesis in human and chicken cells. Artificial membrane tethering of centralspindlin restores cell division in the absence of the C1 domain of MgcRacGAP. Although C1 domain function is dispensable for the formation of the midzone and midbody, it promotes contractility and is required for the attachment of the plasma membrane to the midbody, a long-postulated function of this organelle. Our analysis suggests that centralspindlin links the mitotic spindle to the plasma membrane to secure the final cut during cytokinesis in animal cells.

The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC): from easy rider to the godfather of mitosis

Successful cell division requires the precise and timely coordination of chromosomal, cytoskeletal and membrane trafficking events. These processes are regulated by the competing actions of protein kinases and phosphatases. Aurora B is one of the most intensively studied kinases. In conjunction with inner centromere protein (INCENP), borealin (also known as Dasra) and survivin it forms the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC). This complex targets to different locations at differing times during mitosis, where it regulates key mitotic events: correction of chromosome-microtubule attachment errors; activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint; and construction and regulation of the contractile apparatus that drives cytokinesis. Our growing understanding of the CPC has seen it develop from a mere passenger riding on the chromosomes to one of the main controllers of mitosis.

Phosphoinositides and cytokinesis: the "PIP" of the iceberg

Phosphoinositides [Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns), phosphatidylinositol 3-monophosphate (PtdIns3P), phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate (PtdIns4P), phosphatidylinositol 5-monophosphate (PtdIns5P), phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4)P(2) ), phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(3,5)P(2) ), phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P(2) ), and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) )] are lowly abundant acidic lipids found at the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane and intracellular membranes. Initially discovered as precursors of second messengers in signal transduction, phosphoinositides are now known to directly or indirectly control key cellular functions, such as cell polarity, cell migration, cell survival, cytoskeletal dynamics, and vesicular traffic. Phosphoinositides actually play a central role at the interface between membranes and cytoskeletons and contribute to the identity of the cellular compartments by recruiting specific proteins. Increasing evidence indicates that several phosphoinositides, particularly PtdIns(4,5)P(2) , are essential for cytokinesis, notably after furrow ingression. The present knowledge about the specific phosphoinositides and phosphoinositide modifying-enzymes involved in cytokinesis will be first presented. The review of the current data will then show that furrow stability and cytokinesis abscission require that both phosphoinositide production and hydrolysis are regulated in space and time. Finally, I will further discuss recent mechanistic insights on how phosphoinositides regulate membrane trafficking and cytoskeletal remodeling for successful furrow ingression and intercellular bridge abscission. This will highlight unanticipated connections between cytokinesis and enzymes implicated in human diseases, such as the Lowe syndrome.

Regulation of Drosophila mesoderm migration by phosphoinositides and the PH domain of the Rho GTP exchange factor Pebble

The Drosophila RhoGEF Pebble (Pbl) is required for cytokinesis and migration of mesodermal cells. In a screen for genes that could suppress migration defects in pbl mutants we identified the phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PtdInsP) regulator pi5k59B. Genetic interaction tests with other PtdInsP regulators suggested that PtdIns(4,5)P2 levels are important for mesoderm migration when Pbl is depleted. Consistent with this, the leading front of migrating mesodermal cells was enriched for PtdIns(4,5)P2. Given that Pbl contains a Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domain, a known PtdInsP-binding motif, we examined PtdInsP-binding of Pbl and the importance of the PH domain for Pbl function. In vitro lipid blot assays showed that Pbl binds promiscuously to PtdInsPs, with binding strength associated with the degree of phosphorylation. Pbl was also able to bind lipid vesicles containing PtdIns(4,5)P2 but binding was strongly reduced upon deletion of the PH domain. Similarly, in vivo, loss of the PH domain prevented localisation of Pbl to the cell cortex and severely affected several aspects of early mesoderm development, including flattening of the invaginated tube onto the ectoderm, extension of protrusions, and dorsal migration to form a monolayer. Pbl lacking the PH domain could still localise to the cytokinetic furrow, however, and cytokinesis failure was reduced in pbl(ΔPH) mutants. Taken together, our results support a model in which interaction of the PH-domain of Pbl with PtdIns(4,5)P2 helps localise it to the plasma membrane which is important for mesoderm migration.

Changes in Ect2 localization couple actomyosin-dependent cell shape changes to mitotic progression

As they enter mitosis, animal cells undergo profound actin-dependent changes in shape to become round. Here we identify the Cdk1 substrate, Ect2, as a central regulator of mitotic rounding, thus uncovering a link between the cell-cycle machinery that drives mitotic entry and its accompanying actin remodeling. Ect2 is a RhoGEF that plays a well-established role in formation of the actomyosin contractile ring at mitotic exit, through the local activation of RhoA. We find that Ect2 first becomes active in prophase, when it is exported from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, activating RhoA to induce the formation of a mechanically stiff and rounded metaphase cortex. Then, at anaphase, binding to RacGAP1 at the spindle midzone repositions Ect2 to induce local actomyosin ring formation. Ect2 localization therefore defines the stage-specific changes in actin cortex organization critical for accurate cell division.

Inducing "cytokinesis" without mitosis in unfertilized Drosophila eggs

Selection of the cleavage plane during cytokinesis in dividing cells is linked to the position of the mitotic spindle. A major player in cleavage plane positioning is believed to be the anaphase central spindle and its associated signaling complex called centralspindlin, composed of MgcRacGap and MKLP1. Centralspindlin has the capacity to induce furrowing of the cell cortex by promoting the localized activation of RhoA, which in turn promotes assembly of the contractile ring. We have found a way to induce a cytokinesis-like process in unfertilized Drosophila eggs and very early embryos, when spindle structures are few and located far from invaginating egg cortex. The simple injection of a small molecule inhibitor of Cdk1/Cyclin B (either Roscovitin or RO3306) is sufficient to promote membrane invagination near the site of injection. The furrow generated is in many respects similar to a classical cleavage furrow. Actin, myosin, anillin and MKLP1 are all associated with the forming furrow, which in some cases can entirely circumscribe the unfertilized egg. A similar furrow can also be generated by the localized injection of constitutively active RhoA protein, suggesting that Cdk1 is normally an upstream inhibitor of RhoA activation. We show further that this process apparently is not associated with microtubules. Since simple localized inhibition of Cdk1 is sufficient to induce a furrow, we suggest that in real cytokinesis in normal cells, the localized downregulation of Cdk1 activity at the metaphase-anaphase transition may contribute, along with the spindle, to the positioning of the cleavage furrow.

Cell cycle regulation of Rho signaling pathways

The dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton and its regulation by Rho GTPases are essential to maintain cell shape, to allow cell motility and are also critical during cell cycle progression and mitosis. Rho GTPases and their effectors are involved in cell rounding at mitosis onset, in chromosomes alignment and are required for contraction of the actomyosin ring that separates daughter cells at the end of mitosis. Recent studies have revealed how a number of nucleotide exchange factors and GTPase-activating proteins regulate the activity of Rho GTPases during these processes. This review will focus on how the cell cycle machinery, in turn, regulates expression of proteins in the Rho signaling pathways through transcriptional activation, ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation and modulates their activity through phosphorylation by mitotic kinases.

Cytokinesis in animal cells

Cytokinesis, the final step in cell division, partitions the contents of a single cell into two. In animal cells, cytokinesis occurs through cortical remodeling orchestrated by the anaphase spindle. Cytokinesis relies on a tight interplay between signaling and cellular mechanics and has attracted the attention of both biologists and physicists for more than a century. In this review, we provide an overview of four topics in animal cell cytokinesis: (a) signaling between the anaphase spindle and cortex, (b) the mechanics of cortical remodeling, (c) abscission, and (d) regulation of cytokinesis by the cell cycle machinery. We report on recent progress in these areas and highlight some of the outstanding questions that these findings bring into focus.

Rgnef (p190RhoGEF) knockout inhibits RhoA activity, focal adhesion establishment, and cell motility downstream of integrins

BACKGROUND

Cell migration is a highly regulated process that involves the formation and turnover of cell-matrix contact sites termed focal adhesions. Rho-family GTPases are molecular switches that regulate actin and focal adhesion dynamics in cells. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) activate Rho-family GTPases. Rgnef (p190RhoGEF) is a ubiquitous 190 kDa GEF implicated in the control of colon carcinoma and fibroblast cell motility.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Rgnef exon 24 floxed mice (Rgnef(flox)) were created and crossed with cytomegalovirus (CMV)-driven Cre recombinase transgenic mice to inactivate Rgnef expression in all tissues during early development. Heterozygous Rgnef(WT/flox) (Cre+) crosses yielded normal Mendelian ratios at embryonic day 13.5, but Rgnef(flox/flox) (Cre+) mice numbers at 3 weeks of age were significantly less than expected. Rgnef(flox/flox) (Cre+) (Rgnef-/-) embryos and primary mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) were isolated and verified to lack Rgnef protein expression. When compared to wildtype (WT) littermate MEFs, loss of Rgnef significantly inhibited haptotaxis migration, wound closure motility, focal adhesion number, and RhoA GTPase activation after fibronectin-integrin stimulation. In WT MEFs, Rgnef activation occurs within 60 minutes upon fibronectin plating of cells associated with RhoA activation. Rgnef-/- MEF phenotypes were rescued by epitope-tagged Rgnef re-expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Rgnef-/- MEF phenotypes were due to Rgnef loss and support an essential role for Rgnef in RhoA regulation downstream of integrins in control of cell migration.

Molecular control of animal cell cytokinesis

Cytokinesis is the process by which mitotic cells physically split in two following chromosome segregation. Dividing animal cells first ingress a cytokinetic furrow and then separate the plasma membrane by abscission. The general cytological events and several conserved molecular factors involved in cytokinesis have been known for many years. However, recent progress in microscopy, chemical genetics, biochemical reconstitution and biophysical methodology has tremendously increased our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. We discuss how recent insights have led to refined models of the distinct steps of animal cell cytokinesis, including anaphase spindle reorganization, division plane specification, actomyosin ring assembly and contraction, and abscission. We highlight how molecular signalling pathways coordinate the individual events to ensure faithful partitioning of the genome to emerging daughter cells.

An anillin-Ect2 complex stabilizes central spindle microtubules at the cortex during cytokinesis

Cytokinesis occurs due to the RhoA-dependent ingression of an actomyosin ring. During anaphase, the Rho GEF (guanine nucleotide exchange factor) Ect2 is recruited to the central spindle via its interaction with MgcRacGAP/Cyk-4, and activates RhoA in the central plane of the cell. Ect2 also localizes to the cortex, where it has access to RhoA. The N-terminus of Ect2 binds to Cyk-4, and the C-terminus contains conserved DH (Dbl homologous) and PH (Pleckstrin Homology) domains with GEF activity. The PH domain is required for Ect2's cortical localization, but its molecular function is not known. In cultured human cells, we found that the PH domain interacts with anillin, a contractile ring protein that scaffolds actin and myosin and interacts with RhoA. The anillin-Ect2 interaction may require Ect2's association with lipids, since a novel mutation in the PH domain, which disrupts phospholipid association, weakens their interaction. An anillin-RacGAP50C (homologue of Cyk-4) complex was previously described in Drosophila, which may crosslink the central spindle to the cortex to stabilize the position of the contractile ring. Our data supports an analogous function for the anillin-Ect2 complex in human cells and one hypothesis is that this complex has functionally replaced the Drosophila anillin-RacGAP50C complex. Complexes between central spindle proteins and cortical proteins could regulate the position of the contractile ring by stabilizing microtubule-cortical interactions at the division plane to ensure the generation of active RhoA in a discrete zone.

Roles of putative Rho-GEF Gef2 in division-site positioning and contractile-ring function in fission yeast cytokinesis

How Rho-GEFs and Rho GTPases regulate division-site selection during cytokinesis in fission yeast is unknown. The Rho-GEF Gef2 interacts with the anillin Mid1 to regulate contractile-ring positioning and assembly in coordination with the polo kinase Plo1. In addition, Gef2 is involved in contractile-ring stability and disassembly.

Cytokinesis is crucial for integrating genome inheritance and cell functions. In multicellular organisms, Rho-guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and Rho GTPases are key regulators of division-plane specification and contractile-ring formation during cytokinesis, but how they regulate early steps of cytokinesis in fission yeast remains largely unknown. Here we show that putative Rho-GEF Gef2 and Polo kinase Plo1 coordinate to control the medial cortical localization and function of anillin-related protein Mid1. The division-site positioning defects of gef2∆ plo1-ts18 double mutant can be partially rescued by increasing Mid1 levels. We find that Gef2 physically interacts with the Mid1 N-terminus and modulates Mid1 cortical binding. Gef2 localization to cortical nodes and the contractile ring depends on its last 145 residues, and the DBL-homology domain is important for its function in cytokinesis. Our data suggest the interaction between Rho-GEFs and anillins is an important step in the signaling pathways during cytokinesis. In addition, Gef2 also regulates contractile-ring function late in cytokinesis and may negatively regulate the septation initiation network. Collectively, we propose that Gef2 facilitates and stabilizes Mid1 binding to the medial cortex, where the localized Mid1 specifies the division site and induces contractile-ring assembly.