Cell division. Kinetochores on the move

Anthony Hyman: from unlikely scientist to Royal Society Fellow. Interview by Ruth Williams

Hyman tinkers with cellular machines in his Dresden workshop

The chromokinesin Kid is necessary for chromosome arm orientation and oscillation, but not congression, on mitotic spindles

Chromokinesins have been postulated to provide the polar ejection force needed for chromosome congression during mitosis. We have evaluated that possibility by monitoring chromosome movement in vertebrate-cultured cells using time-lapse differential interference contrast microscopy after microinjection with antibodies specific for the chromokinesin Kid. 17.5% of cells injected with Kid-specific antibodies have one or more chromosomes that remain closely opposed to a spindle pole and fail to enter anaphase. In contrast, 82.5% of injected cells align chromosomes in metaphase, progress to anaphase, and display chromosome velocities not significantly different from control cells. However, injected cells lack chromosome oscillations, and chromosome orientation is atypical because chromosome arms extend toward spindle poles during both congression and metaphase. Furthermore, chromosomes cluster into a mass and fail to oscillate when Kid is perturbed in cells containing monopolar spindles. These data indicate that Kid generates the polar ejection force that pushes chromosome arms away from spindle poles in vertebrate-cultured cells. This force increases the efficiency with which chromosomes make bipolar spindle attachments and regulates kinetochore activities necessary for chromosome oscillation, but is not essential for chromosome congression.

Antikinetochore antibodies interfere with prometaphase but not anaphase chromosome movement in living PtK2 cells

Injection of CREST antikinetochore antiserum (AKA) containing antibodies to the kinetochore into living prometaphase PtK2 cells decreased chromosome velocity to near zero. Injection of either phosphate-buffered saline or CREST antiserum without antikinetochore antibodies (antikinetochore negative: AKN) had no effect on prometaphase oscillations. AKA antiserum injected into anaphase cells at the beginning of chromatid separation had no effect on anaphase chromosome velocity, spindle elongation, or cytokinesis. Visible binding of antikinetochore antibodies in prometaphase cells at room temperature occurred between 5 and 15 minutes after injection. Anaphase cells injected at the beginning of chromatid separation had bound antibody at the end of anaphase. AKA antiserum recognizes in Western blots proteins associated with the primary constriction: CENP-B, -C, and -D, as reported by other workers. The control antiserum, AKN, does not recognize these proteins. These results imply that the antigens recognized by CREST antibodies are important for chromosome movement. Whether or not these antigens are themselves motor molecules cannot be addressed by the present data. In addition, the results suggest that these antigens are not involved in an important way in anaphase movement.