Microtubule End-Clustering Maintains a Steady-State Spindle Shape

NuMA is a mitotic adaptor protein that activates dynein and connects it to microtubule minus ends

Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) is indispensable for the mitotic functions of the major microtubule minus-end directed motor cytoplasmic dynein 1. NuMA and dynein are both essential for correct spindle pole organization. How these proteins cooperate to gather microtubule minus ends at spindle poles remains unclear. Here, we use microscopy-based in vitro reconstitutions to demonstrate that NuMA is a dynein adaptor, activating processive dynein motility together with dynein's cofactors dynactin and Lissencephaly-1 (Lis1). Additionally, we find that NuMA binds and stabilizes microtubule minus ends, allowing dynein/dynactin/NuMA to transport microtubule minus ends as cargo to other minus ends. We further show that the microtubule-nucleating γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) hinders NuMA binding and that NuMA only caps minus ends of γTuRC-nucleated microtubules after γTuRC release. These results provide new mechanistic insight into how dynein, dynactin, NuMA, and Lis1 together with γTuRC and uncapping proteins cooperate to organize spindle poles in cells.

Molecular design principles for bipolar spindle organization by two opposing motors

During cell division in animal cells, a bipolar spindle assembles to segregate the chromosomes. Various motor proteins with different properties are essential for spindle self-organization. The minimal set of components required to organize dynamic microtubules into a bipolar network remains however unknown. Here, we use computer simulations to explore whether two types of microtubule-crosslinking motors with opposite directionality can organize dynamic microtubules into bipolar spindles in three-dimensional space around a local microtubule nucleation source. We find that two motors are indeed sufficient, provided their properties resemble the main human spindle motors kinesin-5 and dynein, revealing the core mechanism of spindle self-organization. It is based on the synergistic interplay of a slow plus-directed symmetric motor and a fast minus-directed asymmetric motor. A hypothetical symmetric minus-directed motor can also support spindle formation together with kinesin-5, but only in a limited and unphysiological parameter range. In agreement with its accessory role in human cells, a minus motor with human kinesin-14 properties does not assemble stable bipolar spindles together with kinesin-5. These results reveal fundamental principles for the self-organization of dynamic bipolar microtubule architectures and highlight how distinct molecular designs of mitotic motors are optimized for their task.

Structural and functional insights into activation and regulation of the dynein-dynactin-NuMA complex

During cell division, NuMA orchestrates the focusing of microtubule minus-ends in spindle poles and cortical force generation on astral microtubules by interacting with dynein motors, microtubules, and other cellular factors. Here we used in vitro reconstitution, cryo-electron microscopy, and live cell imaging to understand the mechanism and regulation of NuMA. We determined the structure of the processive dynein/dynactin/NuMA complex (DDN) and showed that the NuMA N-terminus drives dynein motility in vitro and facilitates dynein-mediated transport in live cells. The C-terminus of NuMA directly binds to and suppresses the dynamics of the microtubule minus-end. Full-length NuMA is autoinhibited, but mitotically phosphorylated NuMA activates dynein in vitro and interphase cells. Together with dynein, activated full-length NuMA focuses microtubule minus-ends into aster-like structures. The binding of the cortical protein LGN to the NuMA C-terminus results in preferential binding of NuMA to the microtubule plus-end. These results provide critical insights into the activation of NuMA and dynein for their functions in the spindle body and the cell cortex.

Motor-driven microtubule diffusion in a photobleached dynamical coordinate system

Motor-driven cytoskeletal remodeling in cellular systems can often be accompanied by a diffusive-like effect at local scales, but distinguishing the contributions of the ordering process, such as active contraction of a network, from this active diffusion is difficult to achieve. Using light-dimerizable kinesin motors to spatially control the formation and contraction of a microtubule network, we deliberately photobleach a grid pattern onto the filament network serving as a transient and dynamic coordinate system to observe the deformation and translation of the remaining fluorescent squares of microtubules. We find that the network contracts at a rate set by motor speed but is accompanied by a diffusive-like spread throughout the bulk of the contracting network with effective diffusion constant two orders of magnitude lower than that for a freely-diffusing microtubule. We further find that on micron scales, the diffusive timescale is only a factor of ≈ 3 slower than that of advection regardless of conditions, showing that the global contraction and long-time relaxation from this diffusive behavior are both motor-driven but exhibit local competition within the network bulk.

Mechanisms underlying spindle assembly and robustness

The microtubule-based spindle orchestrates chromosome segregation during cell division. Following more than a century of study, many components and pathways contributing to spindle assembly have been described, but how the spindle robustly assembles remains incompletely understood. This process involves the self-organization of a large number of molecular parts - up to hundreds of thousands in vertebrate cells - whose local interactions give rise to a cellular-scale structure with emergent architecture, mechanics and function. In this Review, we discuss key concepts in our understanding of spindle assembly, focusing on recent advances and the new approaches that enabled them. We describe the pathways that generate the microtubule framework of the spindle by driving microtubule nucleation in a spatially controlled fashion and present recent insights regarding the organization of individual microtubules into structural modules. Finally, we discuss the emergent properties of the spindle that enable robust chromosome segregation.

Understanding the underlying mechanisms governing spindle orientation: How far are we from there?

Proper spindle orientation is essential for cell fate determination and tissue morphogenesis. Recently, accumulating studies have elucidated several factors that regulate spindle orientation, including geometric, internal and external cues. Abnormality in these factors generally leads to defects in the physiological functions of various organs and the development of severe diseases. Herein, we first review models that are commonly used for studying spindle orientation. We then review a conservative heterotrimeric complex critically involved in spindle orientation regulation in different models. Finally, we summarize some cues that affect spindle orientation and explore whether we can establish a model that precisely elucidates the effects of spindle orientation without interfusing other spindle functions. We aim to summarize current models used in spindle orientation studies and discuss whether we can build a model that disturbs spindle orientation alone. This can substantially improve our understanding of how spindle orientation is regulated and provide insights to investigate this complex event.

Modest increase of KIF11 expression exposes fragilities in the mitotic spindle, causing chromosomal instability

Chromosomal instability (CIN), the process of increased chromosomal alterations, compromises genomic integrity and has profound consequences on human health. Yet, our understanding of the molecular and mechanistic basis of CIN initiation remains limited. We developed a high-throughput, single-cell, image-based pipeline employing deep-learning and spot-counting models to detect CIN by automatically counting chromosomes and micronuclei. To identify CIN-initiating conditions, we used CRISPR activation in human diploid cells to upregulate, at physiologically relevant levels, 14 genes that are functionally important in cancer. We found that upregulation of CCND1, FOXA1 and NEK2 resulted in pronounced changes in chromosome counts, and KIF11 upregulation resulted in micronuclei formation. We identified KIF11-dependent fragilities within the mitotic spindle; increased levels of KIF11 caused centrosome fragmentation, higher microtubule stability, lagging chromosomes or mitotic catastrophe. Our findings demonstrate that even modest changes in the average expression of single genes in a karyotypically stable background are sufficient for initiating CIN by exposing fragilities of the mitotic spindle, which can lead to a genomically diverse cell population.

Cross-linker design determines microtubule network organization by opposing motors

During cell division, cross-linking motors determine the architecture of the spindle, a dynamic microtubule network that segregates the chromosomes in eukaryotes. It is unclear how motors with opposite directionality coordinate to drive both contractile and extensile behaviors in the spindle. Particularly, the impact of different cross-linker designs on network self-organization is not understood, limiting our understanding of self-organizing structures in cells but also our ability to engineer new active materials. Here, we use experiment and theory to examine active microtubule networks driven by mixtures of motors with opposite directionality and different cross-linker design. We find that although the kinesin-14 HSET causes network contraction when dominant, it can also assist the opposing kinesin-5 KIF11 to generate extensile networks. This bifunctionality results from HSET's asymmetric design, distinct from symmetric KIF11. These findings expand the set of rules underlying patterning of active microtubule assemblies and allow a better understanding of motor cooperation in the spindle.

Opposing motors provide mechanical and functional robustness in the human spindle

At each cell division, the spindle self-organizes from microtubules and motors. In human spindles, the motors dynein and Eg5 generate contractile and extensile stress, respectively. Inhibiting dynein or its targeting factor NuMA leads to unfocused, turbulent spindles, and inhibiting Eg5 leads to monopoles; yet, bipolar spindles form when both are inhibited together. What, then, are the roles of these opposing motors? Here, we generate NuMA/dynein- and Eg5-doubly inhibited spindles that not only attain a typical metaphase shape and size but also undergo anaphase. However, these spindles have reduced microtubule dynamics and are mechanically fragile, fracturing under force. Furthermore, they exhibit lagging chromosomes and a dramatic left-handed twist at anaphase. Thus, although these opposing motors are not required for spindle shape, they are essential to its mechanical and functional robustness. This work suggests a design principle whereby opposing active stresses provide robustness to force-generating cellular structures.

The metaphase spindle at steady state - Mechanism and functions of microtubule poleward flux

The mitotic spindle is a bipolar cellular structure, built from tubulin polymers, called microtubules, and interacting proteins. This macromolecular machine orchestrates chromosome segregation, thereby ensuring accurate distribution of genetic material into the two daughter cells during cell division. Powered by GTP hydrolysis upon tubulin polymerization, the microtubule ends exhibit a metastable behavior known as the dynamic instability, during which they stochastically switch between the growth and shrinkage phases. In the context of the mitotic spindle, dynamic instability is furthermore regulated by microtubule-associated proteins and motor proteins, which enables the spindle to undergo profound changes during mitosis. This highly dynamic behavior is essential for chromosome capture and congression in prometaphase, as well as for chromosome alignment to the spindle equator in metaphase and their segregation in anaphase. In this review we focus on the mechanisms underlying microtubule dynamics and sliding and their importance for the maintenance of shape, structure and dynamics of the metaphase spindle. We discuss how these spindle properties are related to the phenomenon of microtubule poleward flux, highlighting its highly cooperative molecular basis and role in keeping the metaphase spindle at a steady state.

The mitotic protein NuMA plays a spindle-independent role in nuclear formation and mechanics

Eukaryotic cells typically form a single, round nucleus after mitosis, and failures to do so can compromise genomic integrity. How mammalian cells form such a nucleus remains incompletely understood. NuMA is a spindle protein whose disruption results in nuclear fragmentation. What role NuMA plays in nuclear integrity, and whether its perceived role stems from its spindle function, are unclear. Here, we use live imaging to demonstrate that NuMA plays a spindle-independent role in forming a single, round nucleus. NuMA keeps the decondensing chromosome mass compact at mitotic exit and promotes a mechanically robust nucleus. NuMA's C terminus binds DNA in vitro and chromosomes in interphase, while its coiled-coil acts as a central regulatory and structural element: it prevents NuMA from binding chromosomes at mitosis, regulates its nuclear mobility, and is essential for nuclear formation. Thus, NuMA plays a structural role over the cell cycle, building and maintaining the spindle and nucleus, two of the cell's largest structures.

NuMA interaction with chromatin is vital for proper chromosome decondensation at the mitotic exit

NuMA is an abundant long coiled-coil protein that plays a prominent role in spindle organization during mitosis. In interphase, NuMA is localized to the nucleus and hypothesized to control gene expression and chromatin organization. However, because of the prominent mitotic phenotype upon NuMA loss, its precise function in the interphase nucleus remains elusive. Here, we report that NuMA is associated with chromatin in interphase and prophase but released upon nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) by the action of Cdk1. We uncover that NuMA directly interacts with DNA via evolutionarily conserved sequences in its C-terminus. Notably, the expression of the DNA-binding-deficient mutant of NuMA affects chromatin decondensation at the mitotic exit, and nuclear shape in interphase. We show that the nuclear shape defects observed upon mutant NuMA expression are due to its potential to polymerize into higher-order fibrillar structures. Overall, this work establishes the spindle-independent function of NuMA in choreographing proper chromatin decompaction and nuclear shape by directly associating with the DNA.

PP2A--B55γ counteracts Cdk1 and regulates proper spindle orientation through the cortical dynein adaptor NuMA

Proper orientation of the mitotic spindle is critical for accurate development and morphogenesis. In human cells, spindle orientation is regulated by the evolutionarily conserved protein NuMA, which interacts with dynein and enriches it at the cell cortex. Pulling forces generated by cortical dynein orient the mitotic spindle. Cdk1-mediated phosphorylation of NuMA at threonine 2055 (T2055) negatively regulates its cortical localization. Thus, only NuMA not phosphorylated at T2055 localizes at the cell cortex. However, the identity and the mechanism of action of the phosphatase complex involved in T2055 dephosphorylation remains elusive. Here, we characterized the PPP2CA-B55γ (PPP2R2C)-PPP2R1B complex that counteracts Cdk1 to orchestrate cortical NuMA for proper spindle orientation. In vitro reconstitution experiments revealed that this complex is sufficient for T2055 dephosphorylation. Importantly, we identified polybasic residues in NuMA that are critical for T2055 dephosphorylation, and for maintaining appropriate cortical NuMA levels for accurate spindle elongation. Furthermore, we found that Cdk1-mediated phosphorylation and PP2A-B55γ-mediated dephosphorylation at T2055 are reversible events. Altogether, this study uncovers a novel mechanism by which Cdk1 and its counteracting PP2A-B55γ complex orchestrate spatiotemporal levels of cortical force generators for flawless mitosis.

Active forces shape the metaphase spindle through a mechanical instability

The metaphase spindle is a dynamic structure orchestrating chromosome segregation during cell division. Recently, soft matter approaches have shown that the spindle behaves as an active liquid crystal. Still, it remains unclear how active force generation contributes to its characteristic spindle-like shape. Here we combine theory and experiments to show that molecular motor-driven forces shape the structure through a barreling-type instability. We test our physical model by titrating dynein activity in Xenopus egg extract spindles and quantifying the shape and microtubule orientation. We conclude that spindles are shaped by the interplay between surface tension, nematic elasticity, and motor-driven active forces. Our study reveals how motor proteins can mold liquid crystalline droplets and has implications for the design of active soft materials.

The Generation of Dynein Networks by Multi-Layered Regulation and Their Implication in Cell Division

Cytoplasmic dynein-1 (hereafter referred to as dynein) is a major microtubule-based motor critical for cell division. Dynein is essential for the formation and positioning of the mitotic spindle as well as the transport of various cargos in the cell. A striking feature of dynein is that, despite having a wide variety of functions, the catalytic subunit is coded in a single gene. To perform various cellular activities, there seem to be different types of dynein that share a common catalytic subunit. In this review, we will refer to the different kinds of dynein as “dyneins.” This review attempts to classify the mechanisms underlying the emergence of multiple dyneins into four layers. Inside a cell, multiple dyneins generated through the multi-layered regulations interact with each other to form a network of dyneins. These dynein networks may be responsible for the accurate regulation of cellular activities, including cell division. How these networks function inside a cell, with a focus on the early embryogenesis of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, is discussed, as well as future directions for the integration of our understanding of molecular layering to understand the totality of dynein’s function in living cells.

The Centrosome Linker and Its Role in Cancer and Genetic Disorders

Centrosome cohesion, the joining of the two centrosomes of a cell, is increasingly appreciated as a major regulator of cell functions such as Golgi organization and cilia positioning. One major element of centrosome cohesion is the centrosome linker that consists of a growing number of proteins. The timely disassembly of the centrosome linker enables centrosomes to separate and assemble a functional bipolar mitotic spindle that is crucial for maintaining genomic integrity. Exciting new findings link centrosome linker defects to cell transformation and genetic disorders. We review recent data on the molecular mechanisms of the assembly and disassembly of the centrosome linker, and discuss how defects in the proper execution of these processes cause DNA damage and genomic instability leading to disease.

Mechanisms of chromosome biorientation and bipolar spindle assembly analyzed by computational modeling

The essential functions required for mitotic spindle assembly and chromosome biorientation and segregation are not fully understood, despite extensive study. To illuminate the combinations of ingredients most important to align and segregate chromosomes and simultaneously assemble a bipolar spindle, we developed a computational model of fission-yeast mitosis. Robust chromosome biorientation requires progressive restriction of attachment geometry, destabilization of misaligned attachments, and attachment force dependence. Large spindle length fluctuations can occur when the kinetochore-microtubule attachment lifetime is long. The primary spindle force generators are kinesin-5 motors and crosslinkers in early mitosis, while interkinetochore stretch becomes important after biorientation. The same mechanisms that contribute to persistent biorientation lead to segregation of chromosomes to the poles after anaphase onset. This model therefore provides a framework to interrogate key requirements for robust chromosome biorientation, spindle length regulation, and force generation in the spindle.

Before a cell divides, it must make a copy of its genetic material and then promptly split in two. This process, called mitosis, is coordinated by many different molecular machines. The DNA is copied, then the duplicated chromosomes line up at the middle of the cell. Next, an apparatus called the mitotic spindle latches onto the chromosomes before pulling them apart. The mitotic spindle is a bundle of long, thin filaments called microtubules. It attaches to chromosomes at the kinetochore, the point where two copied chromosomes are cinched together in their middle.

Proper cell division is vital for the healthy growth of all organisms, big and small, and yet some parts of the process remain poorly understood despite extensive study. Specifically, there is more to learn about how the mitotic spindle self-assembles, and how microtubules and kinetochores work together to correctly orient and segregate chromosomes into two sister cells. These nanoscale processes are happening a hundred times a minute, so computer simulations are a good way to test what we know.

Edelmaier et al. developed a computer model to simulate cell division in fission yeast, a species of yeast often used to study fundamental processes in the cell. The model simulates how the mitotic spindle assembles, how its microtubules attach to the kinetochore and the force required to pull two sister chromosomes apart. Building the simulation involved modelling interactions between the mitotic spindle and kinetochore, their movement and forces applied. To test its accuracy, model simulations were compared to recordings of the mitotic spindle – including its length, structure and position – imaged from dividing yeast cells.

Running the simulation, Edelmaier et al. found that several key effects are essential for the proper movement of chromosomes in mitosis. This includes holding chromosomes in the correct orientation as the mitotic spindle assembles and controlling the relative position of microtubules as they attach to the kinetochore. Misaligned attachments must also be readily deconstructed and corrected to prevent any errors. The simulations also showed that kinetochores must begin to exert more force (to separate the chromosomes) once the mitotic spindle is attached correctly.

Altogether, these findings improve the current understanding of how the mitotic spindle and its counterparts control cell division. Errors in chromosome segregation are associated with birth defects and cancer in humans, and this new simulation could potentially now be used to help make predictions about how to correct mistakes in the process.

Meeting report - Mitotic spindle: from living and synthetic systems to theory

Leading scientists from the field of mitotic spindle research gathered from 24-27 March 2019 to participate in the first 'Mitotic spindle: From living and synthetic systems to theory' conference. This meeting was held in Split, Croatia, organized by Nenad Pavin (Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb) and Iva Tolić (Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb). Around 75 participants presented the latest advances in mitotic spindle research, ranging from live-cell imaging, in vitro reconstitution experiments and theoretical models of spindle assembly. The meeting successfully created an environment for interesting scientific discussions, initiation of new collaborations and development of fresh ideas. In this report, we will highlight and summarize new data challenging the established models of spindle architecture, advances in spindle reconstitution assays, discovery of new regulators of spindle size and shape as well as theoretical approaches for investigating motor protein function.