Feedback control of mitosis in budding yeast

Role of BRCA1 in controlling mitotic arrest in ovarian cystadenoma cells

Cancers that develop in BRCA1 mutation carriers are usually near tetraploid/polyploid. This led us to hypothesize that BRCA1 controls the mitotic checkpoint complex, as loss of such control could lead to mitotic errors resulting in tetraploidy/polyploidy and subsequent aneuploidy. We used an in vitro system mimicking premalignant conditions, consisting of cell strains derived from the benign counterparts of serous ovarian carcinomas (cystadenomas) and expressing SV40 large T antigen, conferring the equivalent of a p53 mutation. We previously showed that such cells undergo one or several doublings of their DNA content, as they age in culture and approach the phenomenon of in vitro crisis. Here, we show that such increase in DNA content reflects a cell cycle arrest possibly at the anaphase promoting complex, as evidenced by decreased BrdU incorporation and increased expression of the mitotic checkpoint complex. Down-regulation of BRCA1 in cells undergoing crisis leads to activation of the anaphase promoting complex and resumption of growth kinetics similar to those seen in cells before they reach crisis. Cells recovering from crisis after BRCA1 down-regulation become multinucleated, suggesting that reduced BRCA1 expression may lead to initiation of a new cell cycle without completion of cytokinesis. This is the first demonstration that BRCA1 controls a physiological arrest at the M phase apart from its established role in DNA damage response, a role that could represent an important mechanism for acquisition of aneuploidy during tumor development. This may be particularly relevant to cancers that have a near tetraploid/polyploid number of chromosomes.

Spindle poisons and cell fate: a tale of two pathways

Spindle poisons, such as paclitaxel and vinblastine, exert their potent anti-neoplastic effects through activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), thereby arresting cells in mitosis. Unfortunately, only certain cancers are susceptible to these drugs, and many patients fail to respond to treatment. We review the pathways that are triggered by spindle poisons and highlight recent studies that describe the great variability of tumor cells in responding to these drugs. We also describe the recent identification of an apoptotic pathway that is activated by mitotic arrest in response to spindle poisons. Emerging from these studies is not only a greater understanding of how these classic antimitotic agents bring about cell death, but also a wealth of potential new targets of anticancer therapeutics.

Aneuploidy and tumorigenesis

Aneuploidy is a prominent phenotype of cancer. It refers to deviations from the normal number of chromosomes in a cell, as a result of whole-chromosome loss or gain. In most cases, aneuploidy is caused by mitotic errors due to defects in the mechanisms that have evolved to ensure faithful chromosome segregation, such as the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). The observation that SAC-deficient mice are tumor prone demonstrates that this checkpoint is important in suppressing tumor formation and suggests that aneuploidy can induce tumorigenesis. In this review, we will summarize our current knowledge about the cause of aneuploidy and discuss the cellular response to aneuploidy in the context of tumorigenesis.

Global analysis of core histones reveals nucleosomal surfaces required for chromosome bi-orientation

The attachment of sister kinetochores to microtubules from opposite spindle poles is essential for faithful chromosome segregation. Kinetochore assembly requires centromere-specific nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CenH3. However, the functional roles of the canonical histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) in chromosome segregation remain elusive. Using a library of histone point mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 24 histone residues that conferred sensitivity to the microtubule-depolymerizing drugs thiabendazole (TBZ) and benomyl were identified. Twenty-three of these mutations were clustered at three spatially separated nucleosomal regions designated TBS-I, -II, and -III (TBZ/benomyl-sensitive regions I-III). Elevation of mono-polar attachment induced by prior nocodazole treatment was observed in H2A-I112A (TBS-I), H2A-E57A (TBS-II), and H4-L97A (TBS-III) cells. Severe impairment of the centromere localization of Sgo1, a key modulator of chromosome bi-orientation, occurred in H2A-I112A and H2A-E57A cells. In addition, the pericentromeric localization of Htz1, the histone H2A variant, was impaired in H4-L97A cells. These results suggest that the spatially separated nucleosomal regions, TBS-I and -II, are necessary for Sgo1-mediated chromosome bi-orientation and that TBS-III is required for Htz1 function.

polo Is Identified as a Suppressor of bubR1 Nondisjunction in a Deficiency Screen of the Third Chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster

We have previously characterized an EMS-induced allele of the bubR1 gene (bubR1^D1326N) that separates the two functions of BubR1, causing meiotic nondisjunction but retaining spindle assembly checkpoint activity during somatic cell division in Drosophila melanogaster. Using this allele, we demonstrate that bubR1 meiotic nondisjunction is dosage sensitive, occurs for both exchange and nonexchange homologous chromosomes, and is associated with decreased maintenance of sister chromatid cohesion and of the synaptonemal complex during prophase I progression. We took advantage of these features to perform a genetic screen designed to identify third chromosome deficiencies having a dominant effect on bubR1^D1326N/bubR1^rev1 meiotic phenotypes. We tested 65 deficiencies covering 60% of the third chromosome euchromatin. Among them, we characterized 24 deficiencies having a dominant effect on bubR1^D1326N/bubR1^rev1 meiotic phenotypes that we classified in two groups: (1) suppressor of nondisjunction and (2) enhancer of nondisjunction. Among these 24 deficiencies, our results show that deficiencies uncovering the polo locus act as suppressor of bubR1 nondisjunction by delaying meiotic prophase I progression and restoring chiasmata formation as observed by the loading of the condensin subunit SMC2. Furthermore, we identified two deficiencies inducing a lethal phenotype during embryonic development and thus affecting BubR1 kinase activity in somatic cells and one deficiency causing female sterility. Overall, our genetic screening strategy proved to be highly sensitive for the identification of modifiers of BubR1 kinase activity in both meiosis and mitosis.

Spindle assembly checkpoint regulates mitotic cell cycle progression during preimplantation embryo development

Errors in chromosome segregation or distribution may result in aneuploid embryo formation, which causes implantation failure, spontaneous abortion, genetic diseases, or embryo death. Embryonic aneuploidy occurs when chromosome aberrations are present in gametes or early embryos. To date, it is still unclear whether the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is required for the regulation of mitotic cell cycle progression to ensure mitotic fidelity during preimplantation development. In this study, using overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) approaches, we analyzed the role of SAC components (Bub3, BubR1 and Mad2) in mouse preimplantation embryos. Our data showed that overexpressed SAC components inhibited metaphase-anaphase transition by preventing sister chromatid segregation. Deletion of SAC components by RNAi accelerated the metaphase-anaphase transition during the first cleavage and caused micronuclei formation, chromosome misalignment and aneuploidy, which caused decreased implantation and delayed development. Furthermore, in the presence of the spindle-depolymerizing drug nocodazole, SAC depleted embryos failed to arrest at metaphase. Our results suggest that SAC is essential for the regulation of mitotic cell cycle progression in cleavage stage mouse embryos.

The spindle checkpoint protein Mad2 regulates APC/C activity during prometaphase and metaphase of meiosis I in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The spindle checkpoint protein Mad2 sets the duration of meiosis I by down-regulating APC/C activity to ensure the timely degradation of APC/C substrates. In the absence of Mad2, premature APC/C activity can cause misregulation of meiotic cell cycle events, resulting in chromosome missegregation.

In many eukaryotes, disruption of the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2 results in an increase in meiosis I nondisjunction, suggesting that Mad2 has a conserved role in ensuring faithful chromosome segregation in meiosis. To characterize the meiotic function of Mad2, we analyzed individual budding yeast cells undergoing meiosis. We find that Mad2 sets the duration of meiosis I by regulating the activity of APC^Cdc20. In the absence of Mad2, most cells undergo both meiotic divisions, but securin, a substrate of the APC/C, is degraded prematurely, and prometaphase I/metaphase I is accelerated. Some mad2Δ cells have a misregulation of meiotic cell cycle events and undergo a single aberrant division in which sister chromatids separate. In these cells, both APC^Cdc20 and APC^Ama1 are prematurely active, and meiosis I and meiosis II events occur in a single meiotic division. We show that Mad2 indirectly regulates APC^Ama1 activity by decreasing APC^Cdc20 activity. We propose that Mad2 is an important meiotic cell cycle regulator that ensures the timely degradation of APC/C substrates and the proper orchestration of the meiotic divisions.

Bub1 and BubR1: at the interface between chromosome attachment and the spindle checkpoint

The spindle checkpoint ensures genome fidelity by temporarily halting chromosome segregation and the ensuing mitotic exit until the last kinetochore is productively attached to the mitotic spindle. At the interface between proper chromosome attachment and the metaphase-to-anaphase transition are the mammalian spindle checkpoint kinases. Compelling evidence indicates that the checkpoint kinases Bub1 and BubR1 have the added task of regulating kinetochore-microtubule attachments. However, the debate on the requirement of kinase activity is in full swing. This minireview summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the core spindle checkpoint kinases Bub1 and BubR1 and considers evidence that supports and opposes the role of kinase activity in regulating their functions during mitosis.

Reduced Mad2 expression keeps relaxed kinetochores from arresting budding yeast in mitosis

A study of the consequences of removing one copy of Mad2 in diploid budding yeast shows that MAD2 haploinsufficiency is due to subunit imbalance in the Mad1–Mad2 complex and that a normal Mad2:Mad1 ratio is essential for cells to respond to a loss of tension on mitotic chromosomes but is dispensable for a response to unattached chromosomes.

Chromosome segregation depends on the spindle checkpoint, which delays anaphase until all chromosomes have bound microtubules and have been placed under tension. The Mad1–Mad2 complex is an essential component of the checkpoint. We studied the consequences of removing one copy of MAD2 in diploid cells of the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Compared to MAD2/MAD2 cells, MAD2/mad2Δ heterozygotes show increased chromosome loss and have different responses to two insults that activate the spindle checkpoint: MAD2/mad2Δ cells respond normally to antimicrotubule drugs but cannot respond to chromosomes that lack tension between sister chromatids. In MAD2/mad2Δ cells with normal sister chromatid cohesion, removing one copy of MAD1 restores the checkpoint and returns chromosome loss to wild-type levels. We conclude that cells need the normal Mad2:Mad1 ratio to respond to chromosomes that are not under tension.

Phosphorylation of the yeast γ-tubulin Tub4 regulates microtubule function

The yeast γ-tubulin Tub4 is assembled with Spc97 and Spc98 into the small Tub4 complex. The Tub4 complex binds via the receptor proteins Spc72 and Spc110 to the spindle pole body (SPB), the functional equivalent of the mammalian centrosome, where the Tub4 complex organizes cytoplasmic and nuclear microtubules. Little is known about the regulation of the Tub4 complex. Here, we isolated the Tub4 complex with the bound receptors from yeast cells. Analysis of the purified Tub4 complex by mass spectrometry identified more than 50 phosphorylation sites in Spc72, Spc97, Spc98, Spc110 and Tub4. To examine the functional relevance of the phosphorylation sites, phospho-mimicking and non-phosphorylatable mutations in Tub4, Spc97 and Spc98 were analyzed. Three phosphorylation sites in Tub4 were found to be critical for Tub4 stability and microtubule organization. One of the sites is highly conserved in γ-tubulins from yeast to human.

Bub1-mediated adaptation of the spindle checkpoint

During cell division, the spindle checkpoint ensures accurate chromosome segregation by monitoring the kinetochore–microtubule interaction and delaying the onset of anaphase until each pair of sister chromosomes is properly attached to microtubules. The spindle checkpoint is deactivated as chromosomes start moving toward the spindles in anaphase, but the mechanisms by which this deactivation and adaptation to prolonged mitotic arrest occur remain obscure. Our results strongly suggest that Cdc28-mediated phosphorylation of Bub1 at T566 plays an important role for the degradation of Bub1 in anaphase, and the phosphorylation is required for adaptation of the spindle checkpoint to prolonged mitotic arrest.

The spindle checkpoint protects cells from aneuploidy by monitoring the status of the kinetochore-microtubule attachment. Defects in this checkpoint pathway and in kinetochore-microtubule attachment can cause substantial aneuploidy in cells. The duration of the mitotic arrest induced by the spindle checkpoint is not indefinite: cells eventually exit from mitosis and re-enter interphase. Because continued activation of the spindle checkpoint is lethal, adaptation to the spindle checkpoint arrest is essential so that cells have a chance for survival as opposed to certain death. However, adaptation of the spindle checkpoint has a flip side—adapted cells could have an increased chance of aneuploidy due to premature mitotic exit. Thus, it is essential that this mechanism be regulated appropriately. Despite the importance of understanding the adaptation of the spindle checkpoint, little is known to date about this mechanism. We found that Cdc28-mediated phosphorylation of Bub1 at T566 plays an important role for adaptation of the spindle checkpoint, a finding providing the molecular insight on how adaptation to prolonged mitotic arrest induced by the spindle checkpoint occurs.

Mad2 haploinsufficiency protects hematopoietic progenitor cells subjected to cell-cycle stress in vivo and to inhibition of redox function of Ape1/Ref-1 in vitro

OBJECTIVE

Cell-cycle checkpoints guarantee movement through the cell cycle. Mitotic arrest deficiency 2 (Mad2), a mitotic checkpoint protein, appears crucial for generating the wait anaphase signal to prevent onset of anaphase. We evaluated effects of Mad2 haploinsufficiency on hematopoietic stem (HSC) and progenitor (HPC) function in response to stress.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied effects of Mad2(+/-) on in vivo recovery of bone marrow HPC from cytotoxic effects and also effects of cytostatic agents on HPC growth in vitro using Mad2(+/-) mice.

RESULTS

Mad2(+/-) HPCs were protected from cytotoxic effects in vivo of a cell-cycle-specific agent, Ara-C, events consistent with Mad2(+/-) HPCs being in a slow or noncycling state, but not from recovery of functional HPC after treatment with non-cycle-specific cyclophosphamide or sublethal irradiation. There were no differences in phenotyped HSCs in Mad2(+/-) &Mad2(+/+) mice, information confirmed by no changes in short- or long-term repopulating HSC assay. To better understand Mad2(+/-) HPC function, E3330, a cytostatic agent, was used to assess redox function of Ape1/Ref-1; colony growth was examined under 5% and 20% O(2) tension. Mad2(+/-) HPCs were less responsive to E3330 than Mad2(+/+) HPCs, and E3330 was more effective under lowered O(2) tension. Mad2(+/-) HPCs were not enhanced at lowered oxygen, as were Mad2(+/+) HPCs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our studies have unexpectedly found that Mad2 haploinsufficiency is protective in the presence of a cycle-specific DNA synthesis agent in vivo, and Ape1/Ref-1 inhibitor in vitro.

The spindle assembly checkpoint: clock or domino?

In each cell division, the newly duplicated chromosomes must be evenly distributed between the sister cells. Errors in this process during meiosis or mitosis are equally fatal: improper segregation of the chromosome 21 during human meiosis leads to Down syndrome (Conley, Aneuploidy: etiology and mechanisms, pp 35-89, 1985), whereas in somatic cells, aneuploidy has been linked to carcinogenesis, by unbalancing the ratio of oncogenes and tumor suppressors (Holland and Cleveland, Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 10(7):478-487, 2009; Yuen et al., Curr Opin Cell Biol 17(6):576-582, 2005). Eukaryotic cells have developed a mechanism, known as the spindle assembly checkpoint, to detect erroneous attachment of chromosomes to the mitotic/meiotic spindle and delay the cell cycle to give enough time to resolve these defects. Research in the last 20 years, has demonstrated that the spindle assembly checkpoint is not only a pure checkpoint pathway, but plays a constitutive role in every cell cycle. Here, we review our current knowledge of how the spindle assembly checkpoint is integrated into the cell cycle machinery, and discuss some of the questions that have to be addressed in the future.

Monitoring spindle orientation: Spindle position checkpoint in charge

Every cell division in budding yeast is inherently asymmetric and counts on the correct positioning of the mitotic spindle along the mother-daughter polarity axis for faithful chromosome segregation. A surveillance mechanism named the spindle position checkpoint (SPOC), monitors the orientation of the mitotic spindle and prevents cells from exiting mitosis when the spindle fails to align along the mother-daughter axis. SPOC is essential for maintenance of ploidy in budding yeast and similar mechanisms might exist in higher eukaryotes to ensure faithful asymmetric cell division. Here, we review the current model of SPOC activation and highlight the importance of protein localization and phosphorylation for SPOC function.

Fission yeast cells undergo nuclear division in the absence of spindle microtubules

Through a previously undescribed mechanism, fission yeast cells can undergo nuclear division and enter the next cell cycle, even in the absence of spindle microtubules.

Mitosis in eukaryotic cells employs spindle microtubules to drive accurate chromosome segregation at cell division. Cells lacking spindle microtubules arrest in mitosis due to a spindle checkpoint that delays mitotic progression until all chromosomes have achieved stable bipolar attachment to spindle microtubules. In fission yeast, mitosis occurs within an intact nuclear membrane with the mitotic spindle elongating between the spindle pole bodies. We show here that in fission yeast interference with mitotic spindle formation delays mitosis only briefly and cells proceed to an unusual nuclear division process we term nuclear fission, during which cells perform some chromosome segregation and efficiently enter S-phase of the next cell cycle. Nuclear fission is blocked if spindle pole body maturation or sister chromatid separation cannot take place or if actin polymerization is inhibited. We suggest that this process exhibits vestiges of a primitive nuclear division process independent of spindle microtubules, possibly reflecting an evolutionary intermediate state between bacterial and Archeal chromosome segregation where the nucleoid divides without a spindle and a microtubule spindle-based eukaryotic mitosis.

The process of cell division, mitosis, ensures that chromosomes are accurately segregated to generate two daughter cells, each with a complete genome. Eukaryotic cells use a microtubule-based mitotic spindle to ensure proper chromosome segregation. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, mitosis is “closed”: that is, the nuclear envelope does not break down, and the mitotic spindle forms within the nucleus. Unexpectedly we have found that in certain circumstances division of the fission yeast nucleus and progression into the next cell cycle can take place without the mitotic spindle. We call this nuclear division process “nuclear fission” because the nucleus separates into two bodies. We show that nuclear fission requires filamentous actin and functional spindle pole bodies, which are the fission yeast equivalent of the centrosome in other organisms. We also show that nuclear fission requires sister chromatid separation and is accompanied by some level of chromosome segregation. We propose that nuclear fission is a vestige of a primitive nuclear division process and might reflect an evolutionary intermediate between the mechanism of chromosome segregation that takes place in bacteria and the microtubule-based mitosis of modern eukaryotes.

Spindle assembly checkpoint genes reveal distinct as well as overlapping expression that implicates MDF-2/Mad2 in postembryonic seam cell proliferation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Background

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) delays anaphase onset by inhibiting the activity of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) until all of the kinetochores have properly attached to the spindle. The importance of SAC genes for genome stability is well established; however, the roles these genes play, during postembryonic development of a multicellular organism, remain largely unexplored.

Results

We have used GFP fusions of 5' upstream intergenic regulatory sequences to assay spatiotemporal expression patterns of eight conserved genes implicated in the spindle assembly checkpoint function in Caenorhabditis elegans. We have shown that regulatory sequences for all of the SAC genes drive ubiquitous GFP expression during early embryonic development. However, postembryonic spatial analysis revealed distinct, tissue-specific expression of SAC genes with striking co-expression in seam cells, as well as in the gut. Additionally, we show that the absence of MDF-2/Mad2 (one of the checkpoint genes) leads to aberrant number and alignment of seam cell nuclei, defects mainly attributed to abnormal postembryonic cell proliferation. Furthermore, we show that these defects are completely rescued by fzy-1(h1983)/CDC20, suggesting that regulation of the APC/C^CDC20 by the SAC component MDF-2 is important for proper postembryonic cell proliferation.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that SAC genes display different tissue-specific expression patterns during postembryonic development in C. elegans with significant co-expression in hypodermal seam cells and gut cells, suggesting that these genes have distinct as well as overlapping roles in postembryonic development that may or may not be related to their established roles in mitosis. Furthermore, we provide evidence, by monitoring seam cell lineage, that one of the checkpoint genes is required for proper postembryonic cell proliferation. Importantly, our research provides the first evidence that postembryonic cell division is more sensitive to SAC loss, in particular MDF-2 loss, than embryonic cell division.

The Lrs4-Csm1 monopolin complex associates with kinetochores during anaphase and is required for accurate chromosome segregation

Lrs4 and Csm1, components of the monopolin complex, localize to the rDNA where they regulate rDNA maintenance and segregation. During meiosis, the complex also associates with kinetochores to bring about sister kinetochore co-orientation, an essential aspect of meiosis I chromosome segregation. We show here that the Lrs4-Csm1 complex associates with kinetochores during mitosis. This kinetochore localization is observed during anaphase and depends on the on the Mitotic Exit Network, a signaling cascade essential for the completion of mitosis. Furthermore, we find that Lrs4 and Csm1 are important for chromosome segregation fidelity. Our results reveal a previously unanticipated function for Lrs4-Csm1 in mitotic chromosome segregation.

Gamma-tubulin regulates the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome during interphase

Activation of the APC/C requires microtubule-nucleating independent aspects of γ-tubulin function.

A cold-sensitive γ-tubulin allele of Aspergillus nidulans, mipAD159, causes defects in mitotic and cell cycle regulation at restrictive temperatures that are apparently independent of microtubule nucleation defects. Time-lapse microscopy of fluorescently tagged mitotic regulatory proteins reveals that cyclin B, cyclin-dependent kinase 1, and the Ancdc14 phosphatase fail to accumulate in a subset of nuclei at restrictive temperatures. These nuclei are permanently removed from the cell cycle, whereas other nuclei, in the same multinucleate cell, cycle normally, accumulating and degrading these proteins. After each mitosis, additional daughter nuclei fail to accumulate these proteins, resulting in an increase in noncycling nuclei over time and consequent inhibition of growth. Extensive analyses reveal that these noncycling nuclei result from a nuclear autonomous, microtubule-independent failure of inactivation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome. Thus, γ-tubulin functions to regulate this key mitotic and cell cycle regulatory complex.

The ATM-p53 pathway suppresses aneuploidy-induced tumorigenesis

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is essential for proper sister chromatid segregation. Defects in this checkpoint can lead to chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy. An increasing body of evidence suggests that aneuploidy can play a causal role in tumorigenesis. However, mutant mice that are prone to aneuploidy have only mild tumor phenotypes, suggesting that there are limiting factors in the aneuploidy-induced tumorigenesis. Here we provide evidence that p53 is such a limiting factor. We show that aneuploidy activates p53 and that loss of p53 drastically accelerates tumor development in two independent aneuploidy models. The p53 activation depends on the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene product and increased levels of reactive oxygen species. Thus, the ATM-p53 pathway safeguards not only DNA damage but also aneuploidy.

Structural and mechanistic insights into Mps1 kinase activation

Mps1 is one of the several essential kinases whose activation is required for robust mitotic spindle checkpoint signalling. The activity of Mps1 is tightly regulated and increases dramatically during mitosis or in response to spindle damage. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying Mps1 regulation, we determined the crystal structure of the kinase domain of Mps1. The 2.7-A-resolution crystal structure shows that the Mps1 kinase domain adopts a unique inactive conformation. Intramolecular interactions between the key Glu residue in the C helix of the N-terminal lobe and the backbone amides in the catalytic loop lock the kinase in the inactive conformation. Autophosphorylation appears to be a priming event for kinase activation. We identified Mps1 autophosphorylation sites in the activation and the P+1 loops. Whereas activation loop autophosphorylation enhances kinase activity, autophosphorylation at the P+1 loop (T686) is associated with the active kinase. Mutation of T686 autophosphorylation site impairs both autophosphorylation and transphosphorylation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that phosphorylation of T676 may be a priming event for phosphorylation at T686. Finally, we identified two critical lysine residues in the loop between helices EF and F that are essential for substrate recruitment and maintaining high levels of kinase activity. Our studies reveal critical biochemical mechanisms for Mps1 kinase regulation.

Polo kinase interacts with RacGAP50C and is required to localize the cytokinesis initiation complex

The assembly and constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring in cytokinesis is dependent on the activation of Rho at the equatorial cortex by a complex, here termed the cytokinesis initiation complex, between a microtubule-associated kinesin-like protein (KLP), a member of the RacGAP family, and the RhoGEF Pebble. Recently, the activity of the mammalian Polo kinase ortholog Plk1 has been implicated in the formation of this complex. We show here that Polo kinase interacts directly with the cytokinesis initiation complex by binding RacGAP50C. We find that a new domain of Polo kinase, termed the intermediate domain, interacts directly with RacGAP50C and that Polo kinase is essential for localization of the KLP-RacGAP centralspindlin complex to the cell equator and spindle midzone. In the absence of Polo kinase, RacGAP50C and Pav-KLP fail to localize normally, instead decorating microtubules along their length. Our results indicate that Polo kinase directly binds the conserved cytokinesis initiation complex and is required to trigger centralspindlin localization as a first step in cytokinesis.

Nuclear transport and the mitotic apparatus: an evolving relationship

The trafficking of macromolecules between the cytoplasm and the nucleus is controlled by the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and various transport factors that facilitate the movement of cargos through the NPCs and their accumulation in the target compartment. While their functions in transport are well established, an ever-growing number of observations have also linked components of the nuclear transport machinery to processes that control chromosome segregation during mitosis, including spindle assembly, kinetochore function, and the spindle assembly checkpoint. In this review, we will discuss this evolving area of study and emerging hypotheses that propose key roles for components of the nuclear transport apparatus in mitotic progression.

Chromosome rearrangements and aneuploidy in yeast strains lacking both Tel1p and Mec1p reflect deficiencies in two different mechanisms

The human ATM and ATR proteins participate in the DNA damage and DNA replication checkpoint pathways and are critical to maintaining genome stability. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologs of ATM and ATR are Tel1p and Mec1p, respectively. Haploid tel1 mec1 strains have very short telomeres and very high rates of chromosomal aberrations. Here, we examine genetic stability in tel1 mec1 diploid cells. In the absence of induced DNA damage, these yeast strains had very high frequencies of aneuploidy (both trisomy and monosomy) in addition to elevated rates of chromosome rearrangements. Although we found the aneuploidy in the tel1 mec1 diploids mimicked that observed in bub1 diploids, the tel1 mec1 diploids had a functional spindle assembly checkpoint. Restoration of wild-type telomere lengths in the tel1 mec1 strain substantially reduced the rate of chromosome rearrangements but had no effect on the frequency of aneuploidy.

Removal of Spindly from microtubule-attached kinetochores controls spindle checkpoint silencing in human cells

The spindle checkpoint generates a "wait anaphase" signal at unattached kinetochores to prevent premature anaphase onset. Kinetochore-localized dynein is thought to silence the checkpoint by transporting checkpoint proteins from microtubule-attached kinetochores to spindle poles. Throughout metazoans, dynein recruitment to kinetochores requires the protein Spindly. Here, we identify a conserved motif in Spindly that is essential for kinetochore targeting of dynein. Spindly motif mutants, expressed following depletion of endogenous Spindly, target normally to kinetochores but prevent dynein recruitment. Spindly depletion and Spindly motif mutants, despite their similar effects on kinetochore dynein, have opposite consequences on chromosome alignment and checkpoint silencing. Spindly depletion delays chromosome alignment, but Spindly motif mutants ameliorate this defect, indicating that Spindly has a dynein recruitment-independent role in alignment. In Spindly depletions, the checkpoint is silenced following delayed alignment by a kinetochore dynein-independent mechanism. In contrast, Spindly motif mutants are retained on microtubule-attached kinetochores along with checkpoint proteins, resulting in persistent checkpoint signaling. Thus, dynein-mediated removal of Spindly from microtubule-attached kinetochores, rather than poleward transport per se, is the critical reaction in checkpoint silencing. In the absence of Spindly, a second mechanism silences the checkpoint; this mechanism is likely evolutionarily ancient, as fungi and higher plants lack kinetochore dynein.

Fission yeast Rad26ATRIP delays spindle-pole-body separation following interphase microtubule damage

The conserved fission yeast protein Rad26(ATRIP) preserves genomic stability by occupying central positions within DNA-structure checkpoint pathways. It is also required for proper cellular morphology, chromosome stability and following treatment with microtubule poisons. Here, we report that mutation of a putative nuclear export sequence in Rad26(ATRIP) disrupted its cytoplasmic localization in untreated cells and conferred abnormal cellular morphology, minichromosome instability and sensitivity to microtubule poisons without affecting DNA-structure checkpoint signaling. This mutation also disrupted a delay to spindle-pole-body separation that occurred following microtubule damage in G(2). Together, these results demonstrate that Rad26(ATRIP) participates in two genetically defined checkpoint pathways--one that responds to genomic damage and the other to microtubule damage. This response to microtubule damage delays spindle-pole-body separation and, in doing so, might preserve both cellular morphology and chromosome stability.

Adaptive evolution of genes duplicated from the Drosophila pseudoobscura neo-X chromosome

Drosophila X chromosomes are disproportionate sources of duplicated genes, and these duplications are usually the result of retrotransposition of X-linked genes to the autosomes. The excess duplication is thought to be driven by natural selection for two reasons: X chromosomes are inactivated during spermatogenesis, and the derived copies of retroposed duplications tend to be testis expressed. Therefore, autosomal derived copies of retroposed genes provide a mechanism for their X-linked paralogs to "escape" X inactivation. Once these duplications have fixed, they may then be selected for male-specific functions. Throughout the evolution of the Drosophila genus, autosomes have fused with X chromosomes along multiple lineages giving rise to neo-X chromosomes. There has also been excess duplication from the two independent neo-X chromosomes that have been examined--one that occurred prior to the common ancestor of the willistoni species group and another that occurred along the lineage leading to Drosophila pseudoobscura. To determine what role natural selection plays in the evolution of genes duplicated from the D. pseudoobscura neo-X chromosome, we analyzed DNA sequence divergence between paralogs, polymorphism within each copy, and the expression profiles of these duplicated genes. We found that the derived copies of all duplicated genes have elevated nonsynonymous polymorphism, suggesting that they are under relaxed selective constraints. The derived copies also tend to have testis- or male-biased expression profiles regardless of their chromosome of origin. Genes duplicated from the neo-X chromosome appear to be under less constraints than those duplicated from other chromosome arms. We also find more evidence for historical adaptive evolution in genes duplicated from the neo-X chromosome, suggesting that they are under a unique selection regime in which elevated nonsynonymous polymorphism provides a large reservoir of functional variants, some of which are fixed by natural selection.

Suppression of genomic instabilities caused by chromosome mis-segregation: a perspective from studying BubR1 and Sgo1

Aneuploidy is a major manifestation of chromosomal instability, which is defined as a numerical abnormality of chromosomes in diploid cells. It is highly prevalent in a variety of human malignancies. Increased chromosomal instability is the major driving force for tumor development and progression. To suppress genomic stability during cell division, eukaryotic cells have evolved important molecular mechanisms, commonly referred to as checkpoints. The spindle checkpoint ensures that cells with defective mitotic spindles or a defective interaction between the spindles and kinetochores do not initiate chromosomal segregation during mitosis. Extensive studies have identified and characterized more than a dozen genes that play important roles in the regulation of the spindle checkpoint in mammalian cells. During the past decade, we have carried out extensive investigation of the role of BubR1 (Bub1-related kinase) and Sgo1 (shugoshin 1), two important gene products that safeguard accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis. This mini-review summarizes our studies, as well as those by other researchers in the field, on the functions of these two checkpoint proteins and their molecular regulation during mitosis. Further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of the spindle checkpoint regulation has the potential to identify important mitotic targets for rational anticancer drug design.

The nature of cell-cycle checkpoints: facts and fallacies

The concept of checkpoint controls revolutionized our understanding of the cell cycle. Here we revisit the defining features of checkpoints and argue that failure to properly appreciate the concept is leading to misinterpretation of experimental results. We illustrate, using the mitotic checkpoint, problems that can arise from a failure to respect strict definitions and precise terminology.

Mitotic chromosomal instability and cancer: mouse modelling of the human disease

The stepwise progression from an early dysplastic lesion to full-blown metastatic malignancy is associated with increases in genomic instability. Mitotic chromosomal instability - the inability to faithfully segregate equal chromosome complements to two daughter cells during mitosis - is a widespread phenomenon in solid tumours that is thought to serve as the fuel for tumorigenic progression. How chromosome instability (CIN) arises in tumours and what consequences it has are still, however, hotly debated issues. Here we review the recent literature with an emphasis on models that recapitulate observations from human disease.

BUB3 that dissociates from BUB1 activates caspase-independent mitotic death (CIMD)

The cell death mechanism that prevents aneuploidy caused by a failure of the spindle checkpoint has recently emerged as an important regulatory paradigm. We previously identified a new type of mitotic cell death, termed caspase-independent mitotic death (CIMD), which is induced during early mitosis by partial BUB1 (a spindle checkpoint protein) depletion and defects in kinetochore-microtubule attachment. In this study, we have shown that survived cells that escape CIMD have abnormal nuclei, and we have determined the molecular mechanism by which BUB1 depletion activates CIMD. The BUB3 protein (a BUB1 interactor and a spindle checkpoint protein) interacts with p73 (a homolog of p53), specifically in cells wherein CIMD occurs. The BUB3 protein that is freed from BUB1 associates with p73 on which Y99 is phosphorylated by c-Abl tyrosine kinase, resulting in the activation of CIMD. These results strongly support the hypothesis that CIMD is the cell death mechanism protecting cells from aneuploidy by inducing the death of cells prone to substantial chromosome missegregation.

Dividing the goods: co-ordination of chromosome biorientation and mitotic checkpoint signalling by mitotic kinases

Error-free chromosome segregation during cell division relies on chromosome biorientation and mitotic checkpoint activity. A group of unrelated kinases controls various aspects of both processes. The present short review outlines our current understanding of the roles of these kinases in maintaining chromosomal stability.

Bub3 is a spindle assembly checkpoint protein regulating chromosome segregation during mouse oocyte meiosis

In mitosis, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) prevents anaphase onset until all chromosomes have been attached to the spindle microtubules and aligned correctly at the equatorial metaphase plate. The major checkpoint proteins in mitosis consist of mitotic arrest-deficient (Mad)1–3, budding uninhibited by benzimidazole (Bub)1, Bub3, and monopolar spindle 1(Mps1). During meiosis, for the formation of a haploid gamete, two consecutive rounds of chromosome segregation occur with only one round of DNA replication. To pull homologous chromosomes to opposite spindle poles during meiosis I, both sister kinetochores of a homologue must face toward the same pole which is very different from mitosis and meiosis II. As a core member of checkpoint proteins, the individual role of Bub3 in mammalian oocyte meiosis is unclear. In this study, using overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) approaches, we analyzed the role of Bub3 in mouse oocyte meiosis. Our data showed that overexpressed Bub3 inhibited meiotic metaphase-anaphase transition by preventing homologous chromosome and sister chromatid segregations in meiosis I and II, respectively. Misaligned chromosomes, abnormal polar body and double polar bodies were observed in Bub3 knock-down oocytes, causing aneuploidy. Furthermore, through cold treatment combined with Bub3 overexpression, we found that overexpressed Bub3 affected the attachments of microtubules and kinetochores during metaphase-anaphase transition. We propose that as a member of SAC, Bub3 is required for regulation of both meiosis I and II, and is potentially involved in kinetochore-microtubule attachment in mammalian oocytes.

Sister chromatid tension and the spindle assembly checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a feedback control system that monitors the state of kinetochore/microtubule attachment during mitosis and halts cell cycle progression until all chromosomes are properly aligned at the metaphase plate. The state of chromosome-microtubule attachment is implicated as a crucial factor in the checkpoint response. On the contrary, lack of tension in the centromere-kinetochore region of sister chromatids has been shown to regulate a pathway of correction of undesired chromosome-microtubule connections, while the presence of tension is believed to promote the stabilization of attachments. We discuss how tension-sensitive phenomena, such as attachment correction and stabilization, relate to the SAC and we speculate on the existence of a single pathway linking error correction and SAC activation.

The ability to survive mitosis in the presence of microtubule poisons differs significantly between human nontransformed (RPE-1) and cancer (U2OS, HeLa) cells

We used live cell imaging to compare the fate of human nontransformed (RPE-1) and cancer (HeLa, U2OS) cells as they entered mitosis in nocodazole or taxol. In the same field, and in either drug, a cell in all lines could die in mitosis, exit mitosis and die within 10 h, or exit mitosis and survive > or =10 h. Relative to RPE-1 cells, significantly fewer HeLa or U2OS cells survived mitosis or remained viable after mitosis: in nocodazole concentrations that inhibit spindle microtubule assembly, or in 500 nM taxol, 30% and 27% of RPE-1 cells, respectively, died in or within 10 h of exiting mitosis while 90% and 49% of U2OS and 78% and 81% of HeLa died. This was even true for clinically relevant taxol concentrations (5 nM) which killed 93% and 46%, respectively, of HeLa and U2OS cells in mitosis or within 10 h of escaping mitosis, compared to 1% of RPE-1 cells. Together these data imply that studies using HeLa or U2OS cells, harvested after a prolonged block in mitosis with nocodazole or taxol, are significantly contaminated with dead or dying cells. We also found that the relationship between the duration of mitosis and survival is drug and cell type specific and that lethality is related to the cell type and drug used to prevent satisfaction of the kinetochore attachment checkpoint. Finally, work with a pan-caspase inhibitor suggests that the primary apoptotic pathway triggered by nocodazole during mitosis in RPE-1 cells is not active in U2OS cells. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Analysis of Ipl1-mediated phosphorylation of the Ndc80 kinetochore protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Phosphorylation of the Ndc80 kinetochore protein by the Ipl1/Aurora B kinase reduces its microtubule binding activity in vitro. We found that kinetochore-bound Ndc80 is phosphorylated on Ipl1 sites in vivo, but this phosphorylation is not essential. Instead, we show that additional Ipl1 targets contribute to segregation and the spindle checkpoint.

Saccharomyces CDK1 phosphorylates Rad53 kinase in metaphase, influencing cellular morphogenesis

Rad53 is an essential protein kinase governing DNA damage and replication stress checkpoints in budding yeast. It also appears to be involved in cellular morphogenesis processes. Mass spectrometry analyses revealed that Rad53 is phosphorylated at multiple SQ/TQ and at SP/TP residues, which are typical consensus sites for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases and CDKs, respectively. Here we show that Clb-CDK1 phosphorylates Rad53 at Ser(774) in metaphase. This phosphorylation event does not influence the DNA damage and replication checkpoint roles of Rad53, and it is independent of the spindle assembly checkpoint network. Moreover, the Ser-to-Asp mutation, mimicking a constitutive phosphorylation state at site 774, causes sensitivity to calcofluor, supporting a functional linkage between Rad53 and cellular morphogenesis.

Inactivating the spindle checkpoint kinase Bub1 during embryonic development results in a global shutdown of proliferation

BACKGROUND

Bub1 is a component of the spindle assembly checkpoint, a surveillance mechanism that maintains chromosome stability during M-phase. Bub1 is essential during the early stages of embryogenesis, with homozygous BUB1-null mice dying shortly after day E3.5. Bub1 is also required later during embryogenesis; inactivation of BUB1 on day E10.5 appears to rapidly block all further development. However, the mechanism(s) responsible for this phenotype remain unclear.

FINDINGS

Here we show that inactivating BUB1 on day E10.5 stalls embryogenesis within 48 hours. This is accompanied by a global shutdown of proliferation, widespread apoptosis and haemorrhaging.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that Bub1 is required throughout the developing embryo for cellular proliferation. Therefore, Bub1 has been shown to be essential in all scenarios analyzed thus far in mice: proliferation of cultured fibroblasts, spermatogenesis, oogenesis and both early and late embryonic development. This likely reflects the fact that Bub1 has dual functions during mitosis, being required for both SAC function and chromosome alignment.

Spindle assembly checkpoint protein dynamics reveal conserved and unsuspected roles in plant cell division

BACKGROUND

In eukaryotes, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) ensures that chromosomes undergoing mitosis do not segregate until they are properly attached to the microtubules of the spindle.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We investigated the mechanism underlying this surveillance mechanism in plants, by characterising the orthogolous SAC proteins BUBR1, BUB3 and MAD2 from Arabidopsis. We showed that the cell cycle-regulated BUBR1, BUB3.1 and MAD2 proteins interacted physically with each other. Furthermore, BUBR1 and MAD2 interacted specifically at chromocenters. Following SAC activation by global defects in spindle assembly, these three interacting partners localised to unattached kinetochores. In addition, in cases of 'wait anaphase', plant SAC proteins were associated with both kinetochores and kinetochore microtubules. Unexpectedly, BUB3.1 was also found in the phragmoplast midline during the final step of cell division in plants.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

We conclude that plant BUBR1, BUB3.1 and MAD2 proteins may have the SAC protein functions conserved from yeast to humans. The association of BUB3.1 with both unattached kinetochore and phragmoplast suggests that in plant, BUB3.1 may have other roles beyond the spindle assembly checkpoint itself. Finally, this study of the SAC dynamics pinpoints uncharacterised roles of this surveillance mechanism in plant cell division.

A role for the karyopherin Kap123p in microtubule stability

Several components of the nuclear transport machinery play a role in mitotic spindle assembly in higher eukaryotes. To further investigate the role of this family of proteins in microtubule function, we screened for mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that confer sensitivity to microtubule-destabilizing drugs. One mutant exhibiting this phenotype lacked the gene encoding the karyopherin Kap123p. Analysis of kap123Delta cells revealed that the drug sensitivity was caused by a defect in microtubule stability and/or assembly. In support of this idea, we demonstrated genetic interactions between the kap123Delta mutation and mutated alleles of genes encoding alpha-tubulins and factors controlling microtubule dynamics. Moreover, kap123Delta cells exhibit defects in spindle structure and dynamics as well as nuclear positioning defects during mitosis. Cultures of kap123Delta strains are enriched for mononucleated large-budded cells often containing short spindles and nuclei positioned away from the budneck, phenotypes indicative of defects in both cytoplasmic and nuclear microtubules. Finally, we identified a gene, CAJ1, which when deleted in combination with KAP123 exacerbated the microtubule-related defects of the kap123Delta mutants. We propose that Kap123p and Caj1p, a member of the Hsp40 family of proteins, together play an essential role in normal microtubule function.

Reverse engineering of the spindle assembly checkpoint

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) is an intracellular mechanism that ensures proper chromosome segregation. By inhibiting Cdc20, a co-factor of the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC), the checkpoint arrests the cell cycle until all chromosomes are properly attached to the mitotic spindle. Inhibition of Cdc20 is mediated by a conserved network of interacting proteins. The individual functions of these proteins are well characterized, but understanding of their integrated function is still rudimentary. We here describe our attempts to reverse-engineer the SAC network based on gene deletion phenotypes. We begun by formulating a general model of the SAC which enables us to predict the rate of chromosomal missegregation for any putative set of interactions between the SAC proteins. Next the missegregation rates of seven yeast strains are measured in response to the deletion of one or two checkpoint proteins. Finally, we searched for the set of interactions that correctly predicted the observed missegregation rates of all deletion mutants. Remarkably, although based on only seven phenotypes, the consistent network we obtained successfully reproduces many of the known properties of the SAC. Further insights provided by our analysis are discussed.

Dissection of CENP-C-directed centromere and kinetochore assembly

Eukaryotic cells ensure accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis by assembling a microtubule-binding site on each chromosome called the kinetochore that attaches to the mitotic spindle. The kinetochore is assembled specifically during mitosis on a specialized region of each chromosome called the centromere, which is constitutively bound by >15 centromere-specific proteins. These proteins, including centromere proteins A and C (CENP-A and -C), are essential for kinetochore assembly and proper chromosome segregation. How the centromere is assembled and how the centromere promotes mitotic kinetochore formation are poorly understood. We have used Xenopus egg extracts as an in vitro system to study the role of CENP-C in centromere and kinetochore assembly. We show that, unlike the histone variant CENP-A, CENP-C is not maintained at centromeres through spermatogenesis but is assembled at the sperm centromere from the egg cytoplasm. Immunodepletion of CENP-C from metaphase egg extract prevents kinetochore formation on sperm chromatin, and depleted extracts can be complemented with in vitro-translated CENP-C. Using this complementation assay, we have identified CENP-C mutants that localized to centromeres but failed to support kinetochore assembly. We find that the amino terminus of CENP-C promotes kinetochore assembly by ensuring proper targeting of the Mis12/MIND complex and CENP-K.

A quantitative systems view of the spindle assembly checkpoint

The idle assembly checkpoint acts to delay chromosome segregation until all duplicated sister chromatids are captured by the mitotic spindle. This pathway ensures that each daughter cell receives a complete copy of the genome. The high fidelity and robustness of this process have made it a subject of intense study in both the experimental and computational realms. A significant number of checkpoint proteins have been identified but how they orchestrate the communication between local spindle attachment and global cytoplasmic signalling to delay segregation is not yet understood. Here, we propose a systems view of the spindle assembly checkpoint to focus attention on the key regulators of the dynamics of this pathway. These regulators in turn have been the subject of detailed cellular measurements and computational modelling to connect molecular function to the dynamics of spindle assembly checkpoint signalling. A review of these efforts reveals the insights provided by such approaches and underscores the need for further interdisciplinary studies to reveal in full the quantitative underpinnings of this cellular control pathway.

The protein phosphatase 2A functions in the spindle position checkpoint by regulating the checkpoint kinase Kin4

In budding yeast, a surveillance mechanism known as the spindle position checkpoint (SPOC) ensures accurate genome partitioning. In the event of spindle misposition, the checkpoint delays exit from mitosis by restraining the activity of the mitotic exit network (MEN). To date, the only component of the checkpoint to be identified is the protein kinase Kin4. Furthermore, how the kinase is regulated by spindle position is not known. Here, we identify the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in complex with the regulatory subunit Rts1 as a component of the SPOC. Loss of PP2A-Rts1 function abrogates the SPOC but not other mitotic checkpoints. We further show that the protein phosphatase functions upstream of Kin4, regulating the kinase's phosphorylation and localization during an unperturbed cell cycle and during SPOC activation, thus defining the phosphatase as a key regulator of SPOC function.

Loss of spindle assembly checkpoint-mediated inhibition of Cdc20 promotes tumorigenesis in mice

Genomic instability is a hallmark of human cancers. Spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a critical cellular mechanism that prevents chromosome missegregation and therefore aneuploidy by blocking premature separation of sister chromatids. Thus, SAC, much like the DNA damage checkpoint, is essential for genome stability. In this study, we report the generation and analysis of mice carrying a Cdc20 allele in which three residues critical for the interaction with Mad2 were mutated to alanine. The mutant Cdc20 protein (AAA-Cdc20) is no longer inhibited by Mad2 in response to SAC activation, leading to the dysfunction of SAC and aneuploidy. The dysfunction could not be rescued by the additional expression of another Cdc20 inhibitor, BubR1. Furthermore, we found that Cdc20^AAA/AAA mice died at late gestation, but Cdc20^+/AAA mice were viable. Importantly, Cdc20^+/AAA mice developed spontaneous tumors at highly accelerated rates, indicating that the SAC-mediated inhibition of Cdc20 is an important tumor-suppressing mechanism.

Boveri revisited: chromosomal instability, aneuploidy and tumorigenesis

The mitotic checkpoint is a major cell cycle control mechanism that guards against chromosome missegregation and the subsequent production of aneuploid daughter cells. Most cancer cells are aneuploid and frequently missegregate chromosomes during mitosis. Indeed, aneuploidy is a common characteristic of tumours, and, for over 100 years, it has been proposed to drive tumour progression. However, recent evidence has revealed that although aneuploidy can increase the potential for cellular transformation, it also acts to antagonize tumorigenesis in certain genetic contexts. A clearer understanding of the tumour suppressive function of aneuploidy might reveal new avenues for anticancer therapy.

Chromosome segregation machinery and cancer

Loss or gain of chromosomes is associated with many cancer cells. This property, called chromosome instability, might arise from a lesion in the chromosome segregation machinery. Essential for chromosome segregation are the proper connection of microtubules to kinetochores, and the synchronous segregation of sister chromatids in anaphase. Accuracy of these processes is ensured by two sophisticated machineries called the correction mechanism and the spindle assembly checkpoint. Here we outline the current understanding of the underlying mechanisms, and highlight recent challenging experiments to address how chromosome segregation failure might relate to tumorigenesis. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to the discovery of new and improved anticancer therapies.

A cell cycle timer for asymmetric spindle positioning

The displacement of the mitotic spindle to one side of a cell is important for many cells to divide unequally. While recent progress has begun to unveil some of the molecular mechanisms of mitotic spindle displacement, far less is known about how spindle displacement is precisely timed. A conserved mitotic progression mechanism is known to time events in dividing cells, although this has never been linked to spindle displacement. This mechanism involves the anaphase-promoting complex (APC), its activator Cdc20/Fizzy, its degradation target cyclin, and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK). Here we show that these components comprise a previously unrecognized timer for spindle displacement. In the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, mitotic spindle displacement begins at a precise time, soon after chromosomes congress to the metaphase plate. We found that reducing the function of the proteasome, the APC, or Cdc20/Fizzy delayed spindle displacement. Conversely, inactivating CDK in prometaphase caused the spindle to displace early. The consequence of experimentally unlinking spindle displacement from this timing mechanism was the premature displacement of incompletely assembled components of the mitotic spindle. We conclude that in this system, asymmetric positioning of the mitotic spindle is normally delayed for a short time until the APC inactivates CDK, and that this delay ensures that the spindle does not begin to move until it is fully assembled. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that mitotic progression times spindle displacement in the asymmetric division of an animal cell. We speculate that this link between the cell cycle and asymmetric cell division might be evolutionarily conserved, because the mitotic spindle is displaced at a similar stage of mitosis during asymmetric cell divisions in diverse systems.