The nature of cell-cycle checkpoints: facts and fallacies

LINC01235 Promotes Clonal Evolution through DNA Replication Licensing-Induced Chromosomal Instability in Breast Cancer

Despite the development of HER2-targeting drugs such as trastuzumab and T-DXd, treatment resistance is a substantial challenge, often leading to relapse and distant metastasis. Tumor heterogeneity in HER2-positive breast cancer drives the evolution of resistant clones following therapeutic stress. However, the targetable drivers of anti-HER2 treatment resistance are not thoroughly identified. This study aims to use neoadjuvant-targeted therapy cohorts and a patient-derived organoid in vitro treatment model to uncover the potential targetable drivers of anti-HER2 treatment resistance. it is found that LINC01235 significantly enhances DNA replication licensing and chromosomal instability, fostering clonal expansion and evolution, and ultimately increasing resistance to therapeutic interventions. LINC01235 regulates global H3K27ac, H3K9ac, and H3K36me3 modifications, promotes H2A.Z expression in regulatory regions, and increases the accessibility of DNA licensing factors to their promoter regions. XRCC5 is identified as a key component for maintaining genomic stability, crucial for LINC01235's role in replication licensing. Furthermore, therapeutic strategies targeting LINC01235, including the use of antisense oligonucleotides or ATR inhibitors, which showed promise in overcoming treatment resistance are explored. These findings underscore the pivotal role of LINC01235 in driving resistance mechanisms and highlight novel avenues for targeted therapies to improve the outcomes of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

The two sides of chromosomal instability: drivers and brakes in cancer

Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of cancer and is associated with tumor cell malignancy. CIN triggers a chain reaction in cells leading to chromosomal abnormalities, including deviations from the normal chromosome number or structural changes in chromosomes. CIN arises from errors in DNA replication and chromosome segregation during cell division, leading to the formation of cells with abnormal number and/or structure of chromosomes. Errors in DNA replication result from abnormal replication licensing as well as replication stress, such as double-strand breaks and stalled replication forks; meanwhile, errors in chromosome segregation stem from defects in chromosome segregation machinery, including centrosome amplification, erroneous microtubule-kinetochore attachments, spindle assembly checkpoint, or defective sister chromatids cohesion. In normal cells, CIN is deleterious and is associated with DNA damage, proteotoxic stress, metabolic alteration, cell cycle arrest, and senescence. Paradoxically, despite these negative consequences, CIN is one of the hallmarks of cancer found in over 90% of solid tumors and in blood cancers. Furthermore, CIN could endow tumors with enhanced adaptation capabilities due to increased intratumor heterogeneity, thereby facilitating adaptive resistance to therapies; however, excessive CIN could induce tumor cells death, leading to the "just-right" model for CIN in tumors. Elucidating the complex nature of CIN is crucial for understanding the dynamics of tumorigenesis and for developing effective anti-tumor treatments. This review provides an overview of causes and consequences of CIN, as well as the paradox of CIN, a phenomenon that continues to perplex researchers. Finally, this review explores the potential of CIN-based anti-tumor therapy.

"Half-Sandwich" Ruthenium Complexes with Alizarin as Anticancer Agents: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Upon exploration of the chemistry of the combination of ruthenium/arene with anthraquinone alizarin (L), three new complexes with the general formulas [Ru(L)Cl(η⁶-p-cymene)] (C1), [Ru(L)(η⁶-p-cymene)(PPh₃)]PF₆ (C2), and [Ru(L)(η⁶-p-cymene)(PEt₃)]PF₆ (C3) were synthesized and characterized using spectroscopic techniques (mass, IR, and 1D and 2D NMR), molar conductivity, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Complex C1 exhibited fluorescence, such as free alizarin, while in C2 and C3, the emission was probably quenched by monophosphines and the crystallographic data showed that hydrophobic interactions are predominant in intermolecular contacts. The cytotoxicity of the complexes was evaluated in the MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative breast cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer), and A549 (lung) tumor cell lines and MCF-10A (breast) and MRC-5 (lung) nontumor cell lines. Complexes C1 and C2 were more selective to the breast tumor cell lines, and C2 was the most cytotoxic (IC₅₀ = 6.5 μM for MDA-MB-231). In addition, compound C1 performs a covalent interaction with DNA, while C2 and C3 present only weak interactions; however, internalization studies by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy showed that complex C1 does not accumulate in viable MDA-MB-231 cells and is detected in the cytoplasm only after cell permeabilization. Investigations of the mechanism of action of the complexes indicate that C2 promotes cell cycle arrest in the Sub-G₁ phase in MDA-MB-231, inhibits its colony formation, and has a possible antimetastatic action, impeding cell migration in the wound-healing experiment (13% of wound healing in 24 h). The in vivo toxicological experiments with zebrafish indicate that C1 and C3 exhibit the most zebrafish embryo developmental toxicity (inhibition of spontaneous movements and heartbeats), while C2, the most promising anticancer drug in the in vitro preclinical tests, revealed the lowest toxicity in in vivo preclinical screening.

BAP1 loss induces mitotic defects in mesothelioma cells through BRCA1-dependent and independent mechanisms

The tumour suppressor BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) is the most frequently mutated cancer gene in mesothelioma. Here we report novel functions for BAP1 in mitotic progression highlighting the relationship between BAP1 and control of genome stability in mesothelioma cells with therapeutic implications. Depletion of BAP1 protein induced proteasome-mediated degradation of BRCA1 in mesothelioma cells while loss of BAP1 correlated with BRCA1 loss in mesothelioma patient tumour samples. BAP1 loss also led to mitotic defects that phenocopied the loss of BRCA1 including spindle assembly checkpoint failure, centrosome amplification and chromosome segregation errors. However, loss of BAP1 also led to additional mitotic changes that were not observed upon BRCA1 loss, including an increase in spindle length and enhanced growth of astral microtubules. Intriguingly, these consequences could be explained by loss of expression of the KIF18A and KIF18B kinesin motors that occurred upon depletion of BAP1 but not BRCA1, as spindle and astral microtubule defects were rescued by re-expression of KIF18A and KIF18B, respectively. We therefore propose that BAP1 inactivation causes mitotic defects through BRCA1-dependent and independent mechanisms revealing novel routes by which mesothelioma cells lacking BAP1 may acquire genome instability and exhibit altered responses to microtubule-targeted agents.

A Journey through Time on the Discovery of Cell Cycle Regulation

All living organisms on Earth are made up of cells, which are the functional unit of life. Eukaryotic organisms can consist of a single cell (unicellular) or a group of either identical or different cells (multicellular). Biologists have always been fascinated by how a single cell, such as an egg, can give rise to an entire organism, such as the human body, composed of billions of cells, including hundreds of different cell types. This is made possible by cell division, whereby a single cell divides to form two cells. During a symmetric cell division, a mother cell produces two daughter cells, while an asymmetric cell division results in a mother and a daughter cell that have different fates (different morphologies, cellular compositions, replicative potentials, and/or capacities to differentiate). In biology, the cell cycle refers to the sequence of events that a cell must go through in order to divide. These events, which always occur in the same order, define the different stages of the cell cycle: G1, S, G2, and M. What is fascinating about the cell cycle is its universality, and the main reason for this is that the genetic information of the cell is encoded by exactly the same molecular entity with exactly the same structure: the DNA double helix. Since both daughter cells always inherit their genetic information from their parent cell, the underlying fundamentals of the cell cycle—DNA replication and chromosome segregation—are shared by all organisms. This review goes back in time to provide a historical summary of the main discoveries that led to the current understanding of how cells divide and how cell division is regulated to remain highly reproducible.

Spindle Architectural Features Must Be Considered Along With Cell Size to Explain the Timing of Mitotic Checkpoint Silencing

Mitosis proceeds through a defined series of events that is largely conserved, but the amount of time needed for their completion can vary in different cells and organisms. In many systems, mitotic duration depends on the time required to satisfy and silence the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), also known as the mitotic checkpoint. Because SAC silencing involves trafficking SAC molecules among kinetochores, spindle, and cytoplasm, the size and geometry of the spindle relative to cell volume are expected to affect mitotic duration by influencing the timing of SAC silencing. However, the relationship between SAC silencing, cell size, and spindle dimensions is unclear. To investigate this issue, we used four DLD-1 tetraploid (4N) clones characterized by small or large nuclear and cell size. We found that the small 4N clones had longer mitotic durations than the parental DLD-1 cells and that this delay was due to differences in their metaphase duration. Leveraging a previous mathematical model for spatiotemporal regulation of SAC silencing, we show that the difference in metaphase duration, i.e., SAC silencing time, can be explained by the distinct spindle microtubule densities and sizes of the cell, spindle, and spindle poles in the 4N clones. Lastly, we demonstrate that manipulating spindle geometry can alter mitotic and metaphase duration, consistent with a model prediction. Our results suggest that spindle size does not always scale with cell size in mammalian cells and cell size is not sufficient to explain the differences in metaphase duration. Only when a number of spindle architectural features are considered along with cell size can the kinetics of SAC silencing, and hence mitotic duration, in the different clones be explained.

A novel benzodiazepine derivative that suppresses microtubule dynamics and impairs mitotic progression

A novel 2,3-benzodiazepine-4 derivative, named 1g, has recently been shown to function as an anti-proliferative compound. We now show that it perturbs the formation of a functional mitotic spindle, inducing a spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC)-dependent arrest in human cells. Live analysis of individual microtubules indicates that 1g promotes a rapid and reversible reduction in microtubule growth. Unlike most anti-mitotic compounds, we found that 1g does not interfere directly with tubulin or perturb microtubule assembly in vitro The observation that 1g also triggers a SAC-dependent mitotic delay associated with chromosome segregation in Drosophila neural stem cells, suggests that it targets a conserved microtubule regulation module in humans and flies. Altogether, our results indicate that 1g is a novel promising anti-mitotic drug with the unique properties of altering microtubule growth and mitotic spindle organization.

A cell separation checkpoint that enforces the proper order of late cytokinetic events

Eukaryotic cell division requires dependency relationships in which late processes commence only after early ones are appropriately completed. We have discovered a system that blocks late events of cytokinesis until early ones are successfully accomplished. In budding yeast, cytokinetic actomyosin ring contraction and membrane ingression are coupled with deposition of an extracellular septum that is selectively degraded in its primary septum immediately after its completion by secreted enzymes. We find this secretion event is linked to septum completion and forestalled when the process is slowed. Delay of septum degradation requires Fir1, an intrinsically disordered protein localized to the cytokinesis site that is degraded upon septum completion but stabilized when septation is aberrant. Fir1 protects cytokinesis in part by inhibiting a separation-specific exocytosis function of the NDR/LATS kinase Cbk1, a key component of "hippo" signaling that induces mother-daughter separation. We term this system enforcement of cytokinesis order, a checkpoint ensuring proper temporal sequence of mechanistically incompatible processes of cytokinesis.

RBBP6 expressional effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines with distinct p53 statuses

Introduction

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy amongst women and has a higher incidence rate than lung cancer. Its tumor progression partially results from inactivation of p53 which is caused by overexpression of ubiquitous regulatory proteins possessing p53-binding domain. RBBP6 is regarded as one of the ubiquitous proteins because of its RING finger-like domain which enables it to possess E3 ligase activity. Thus, it has become a potential target in cancer treatment as it is highly expressed in various malignancies including cancer. However, it is not clearly defined whether the effect of RBBP6 on cell growth and apoptosis is cell line-dependent, more especially in breast cancer cell lines that have distinct p53 expression profiles. This study aims at evaluating the effects of RBBP6 on cell growth and apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines with different p53 expressions.

Methods

Following the analysis at mRNA and protein levels in breast cancer tissue, RBBP6 expression was successfully manipulated using gene silencing and protein overexpression techniques in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. The cells were co-treated with siRBBP6 and anticancer agents following apoptosis detection, which was confirmed by caspase 3/7 activity and quantification of apoptotic genes.

Results

RBBP6 was overexpressed in breast cancer tissues that were classified as stages 3 and 4, while in stage 1, its expression was much lower. The MCF-7 cell line which expresses wild-type p53 was more sensitive to apoptosis induction than MDA-MB-231 which is a mutant p53-expressing cell line. These data suggest that RBBP6 silencing triggers significant levels of intrinsic apoptosis, and its overexpression appears to promote cell proliferation in wild-type p53-expressing MCF-7 cell line as opposed to MDA-MB-231 cells.

Conclusion

The effect of RBBP6 on cell proliferation and apoptosis induction in breast cancer seems to be cell line-dependent based on p53 status.

Kinase and Phosphatase Cross-Talk at the Kinetochore

Multiple kinases and phosphatases act on the kinetochore to control chromosome segregation: Aurora B, Mps1, Bub1, Plk1, Cdk1, PP1, and PP2A-B56, have all been shown to regulate both kinetochore-microtubule attachments and the spindle assembly checkpoint. Given that so many kinases and phosphatases converge onto two key mitotic processes, it is perhaps not surprising to learn that they are, quite literally, entangled in cross-talk. Inhibition of any one of these enzymes produces secondary effects on all the others, which results in a complicated picture that is very difficult to interpret. This review aims to clarify this picture by first collating the direct effects of each enzyme into one overarching schematic of regulation at the Knl1/Mis12/Ndc80 (KMN) network (a major signaling hub at the outer kinetochore). This schematic will then be used to discuss the implications of the cross-talk that connects these enzymes; both in terms of why it may be needed to produce the right type of kinetochore signals and why it nevertheless complicates our interpretations about which enzymes control what processes. Finally, some general experimental approaches will be discussed that could help to characterize kinetochore signaling by dissociating the direct from indirect effect of kinase or phosphatase inhibition in vivo. Together, this review should provide a framework to help understand how a network of kinases and phosphatases cooperate to regulate two key mitotic processes.

A drift-diffusion checkpoint model predicts a highly variable and growth-factor-sensitive portion of the cell cycle G1 phase

Even among isogenic cells, the time to progress through the cell cycle, or the intermitotic time (IMT), is highly variable. This variability has been a topic of research for several decades and numerous mathematical models have been proposed to explain it. Previously, we developed a top-down, stochastic drift-diffusion+threshold (DDT) model of a cell cycle checkpoint and showed that it can accurately describe experimentally-derived IMT distributions [Leander R, Allen EJ, Garbett SP, Tyson DR, Quaranta V. Derivation and experimental comparison of cell-division probability densities. J. Theor. Biol. 2014;358:129-135]. Here, we use the DDT modeling approach for both descriptive and predictive data analysis. We develop a custom numerical method for the reliable maximum likelihood estimation of model parameters in the absence of a priori knowledge about the number of detectable checkpoints. We employ this method to fit different variants of the DDT model (with one, two, and three checkpoints) to IMT data from multiple cell lines under different growth conditions and drug treatments. We find that a two-checkpoint model best describes the data, consistent with the notion that the cell cycle can be broadly separated into two steps: the commitment to divide and the process of cell division. The model predicts one part of the cell cycle to be highly variable and growth factor sensitive while the other is less variable and relatively refractory to growth factor signaling. Using experimental data that separates IMT into G1 vs. S, G2, and M phases, we show that the model-predicted growth-factor-sensitive part of the cell cycle corresponds to a portion of G1, consistent with previous studies suggesting that the commitment step is the primary source of IMT variability. These results demonstrate that a simple stochastic model, with just a handful of parameters, can provide fundamental insights into the biological underpinnings of cell cycle progression.

The connections of Wnt pathway components with cell cycle and centrosome: side effects or a hidden logic?

Wnt signaling cascade has developed together with multicellularity to orchestrate the development and homeostasis of complex structures. Wnt pathway components - such as β-catenin, Dishevelled (DVL), Lrp6, and Axin-- are often dedicated proteins that emerged in evolution together with the Wnt signaling cascade and are believed to function primarily in the Wnt cascade. It is interesting to see that in recent literature many of these proteins are connected with cellular functions that are more ancient and not limited to multicellular organisms - such as cell cycle regulation, centrosome biology, or cell division. In this review, we summarize the recent literature describing this crosstalk. Specifically, we attempt to find the answers to the following questions: Is the response to Wnt ligands regulated by the cell cycle? Is the centrosome and/or cilium required to activate the Wnt pathway? How do Wnt pathway components regulate the centrosomal cycle and cilia formation and function? We critically review the evidence that describes how these connections are regulated and how they help to integrate cell-to-cell communication with the cell and the centrosomal cycle in order to achieve a fine-tuned, physiological response.

Fungal Cell Cycle: A Unicellular versus Multicellular Comparison

All cells must accurately replicate DNA and partition it to daughter cells. The basic cell cycle machinery is highly conserved among eukaryotes. Most of the mechanisms that control the cell cycle were worked out in fungal cells, taking advantage of their powerful genetics and rapid duplication times. Here we describe the cell cycles of the unicellular budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the multicellular filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. We compare and contrast morphological landmarks of G1, S, G2, and M phases, molecular mechanisms that drive cell cycle progression, and checkpoints in these model unicellular and multicellular fungal systems.

The Aurora B Kinase in Chromosome Bi-Orientation and Spindle Checkpoint Signaling

Aurora B, a member of the Aurora family of serine/threonine protein kinases, is a key player in chromosome segregation. As part of a macromolecular complex known as the chromosome passenger complex, Aurora B concentrates early during mitosis in the proximity of centromeres and kinetochores, the sites of attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules. There, it contributes to a number of processes that impart fidelity to cell division, including kinetochore stabilization, kinetochore–microtubule attachment, and the regulation of a surveillance mechanism named the spindle assembly checkpoint. In the regulation of these processes, Aurora B is the fulcrum of a remarkably complex network of interactions that feed back on its localization and activation state. In this review, we discuss the multiple roles of Aurora B during mitosis, focusing in particular on its role at centromeres and kinetochores. Many details of the network of interactions at these locations remain poorly understood, and we focus here on several crucial outstanding questions.

The spindle checkpoint and chromosome segregation in meiosis

The spindle checkpoint is a key regulator of chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis. Its function is to prevent precocious anaphase onset before chromosomes have achieved bipolar attachment to the spindle. The spindle checkpoint comprises a complex set of signaling pathways that integrate microtubule dynamics, biomechanical forces at the kinetochores, and intricate regulation of protein interactions and post-translational modifications. Historically, many key observations that gave rise to the initial concepts of the spindle checkpoint were made in meiotic systems. In contrast with mitosis, the two distinct chromosome segregation events of meiosis present a special challenge for the regulation of checkpoint signaling. Preservation of fidelity in chromosome segregation in meiosis, controlled by the spindle checkpoint, also has a significant impact in human health. This review highlights the contributions from meiotic systems in understanding the spindle checkpoint as well as the role of checkpoint signaling in controlling the complex divisions of meiosis.

Three BUB1 and BUBR1/MAD3-related spindle assembly checkpoint proteins are required for accurate mitosis in Arabidopsis

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a refined surveillance mechanism which ensures that chromosomes undergoing mitosis do not segregate until they are properly attached to the spindle microtubules (MT). The SAC has been extensively studied in metazoans and yeast, but little is known about its role in plants. We identified proteins interacting with a MT-associated protein MAP65-3, which plays a critical role in organising mitotic MT arrays, and carried out a functional analysis of previously and newly identified SAC components. We show that Arabidopsis SAC proteins BUB3.1, MAD2, BUBR1/MAD3s and BRK1 interact with each other and with MAP65-3. We found that two BUBR1/MAD3s interacted specifically at centromeres. When stably expressed in Arabidopsis, BRK1 localised to the kinetochores during all stages of the mitotic cell cycle. Early in mitosis, BUB3.1 and BUBR1/MAD3.1 localise to the mitotic spindle, where MAP65-3 organises spindle MTs. A double-knockout mad3.1 mad3.2 mutant presented spindle MT abnormalities, chromosome misalignments on the metaphase plate and the production of lagging chromosomes and micronuclei during mitosis. We conclude that BRK1 and BUBR1/MAD3-related proteins play a key role in ensuring faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis and that their interaction with MAP65-3 may be important for the regulation of MT-chromosome attachment.

Dynamics of the cell-cycle network under genome-rewiring perturbations

The cell-cycle progression is regulated by a specific network enabling its ordered dynamics. Recent experiments supported by computational models have shown that a core of genes ensures this robust cycle dynamics. However, much less is known about the direct interaction of the cell-cycle regulators with genes outside of the cell-cycle network, in particular those of the metabolic system. Following our recent experimental work, we present here a model focusing on the dynamics of the cell-cycle core network under rewiring perturbations. Rewiring is achieved by placing an essential metabolic gene exclusively under the regulation of a cell-cycle's promoter, forcing the cell-cycle network to function under a multitasking challenging condition; operating in parallel the cell-cycle progression and a metabolic essential gene. Our model relies on simple rate equations that capture the dynamics of the relevant protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions, while making a clear distinction between these two different types of processes. In particular, we treat the cell-cycle transcription factors as limited 'resources' and focus on the redistribution of resources in the network during its dynamics. This elucidates the sensitivity of its various nodes to rewiring interactions. The basic model produces the correct cycle dynamics for a wide range of parameters. The simplicity of the model enables us to study the interface between the cell-cycle regulation and other cellular processes. Rewiring a promoter of the network to regulate a foreign gene, forces a multitasking regulatory load. The higher the load on the promoter, the longer is the cell-cycle period. Moreover, in agreement with our experimental results, the model shows that different nodes of the network exhibit variable susceptibilities to the rewiring perturbations. Our model suggests that the topology of the cell-cycle core network ensures its plasticity and flexible interface with other cellular processes, without a need for an optimal setting of the kinetic parameters.

Maturation of the kinetochore-microtubule interface and the meaning of metaphase

Chromosome positioning at the equator of the mitotic spindle emerges out of a relatively entropic background. At this moment, termed metaphase, all kinetochores have typically captured microtubules leading to satisfaction of the spindle-assembly checkpoint, but the cell does not enter anaphase immediately. The waiting time in metaphase is related to the kinetics of securin and cyclin B1 degradation, which trigger sister-chromatid separation and promote anaphase processivity, respectively. Yet, as judged by metaphase duration, such kinetics vary widely between cell types and organisms, with no evident correlation to ploidy or cell size. During metaphase, many animal and plant spindles are also characterized by a conspicuous "flux" activity characterized by continuous poleward translocation of spindle microtubules, which maintain steady-state length and position. Whether spindle microtubule flux plays a specific role during metaphase remains arguable. Based on known experimental parameters, we have performed a comparative analysis amongst different cell types from different organisms and show that spindle length, metaphase duration and flux velocity combine within each system to obey a quasi-universal rule. As so, knowledge of two of these parameters is enough to estimate the third. This trend indicates that metaphase duration is tuned to allow approximately one kinetochore-to-pole round of microtubule flux. We propose that the time cells spend in metaphase evolved as a quality enhancement step that allows for the uniform stabilization/correction of kinetochore-microtubule attachments, thereby promoting mitotic fidelity.

The Mad1-Mad2 balancing act--a damaged spindle checkpoint in chromosome instability and cancer

Cancer cells are commonly aneuploid. The spindle checkpoint ensures accurate chromosome segregation by controlling cell cycle progression in response to aberrant microtubule-kinetochore attachment. Damage to the checkpoint, which is a partial loss or gain of checkpoint function, leads to aneuploidy during tumorigenesis. One form of damage is a change in levels of the checkpoint proteins mitotic arrest deficient 1 and 2 (Mad1 and Mad2), or in the Mad1:Mad2 ratio. Changes in Mad1 and Mad2 levels occur in human cancers, where their expression is regulated by the tumor suppressors p53 and retinoblastoma 1 (RB1). By employing a standard assay, namely the addition of a mitotic poison at mitotic entry, it has been shown that checkpoint function is normal in many cancer cells. However, in several experimental systems, it has been observed that this standard assay does not always reveal checkpoint aberrations induced by changes in Mad1 or Mad2, where excess Mad1 relative to Mad2 can lead to premature anaphase entry, and excess Mad2 can lead to a delay in entering anaphase. This Commentary highlights how changes in the levels of Mad1 and Mad2 result in a damaged spindle checkpoint, and explores how these changes cause chromosome instability that can lead to aneuploidy during tumorigenesis.

Spindle assembly checkpoint: the third decade

The spindle assembly checkpoint controls cell cycle progression during mitosis, synchronizing it with the attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules. After the discovery of the mitotic arrest deficient (MAD) and budding uninhibited by benzymidazole (BUB) genes as crucial checkpoint components in 1991, the second decade of checkpoint studies (2001–2010) witnessed crucial advances in the elucidation of the mechanism through which the checkpoint effector, the mitotic checkpoint complex, targets the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C) to prevent progression into anaphase. Concomitantly, the discovery that the Ndc80 complex and other components of the microtubule-binding interface of kinetochores are essential for the checkpoint response finally asserted that kinetochores are crucial for the checkpoint response. Nevertheless, the relationship between kinetochores and checkpoint control remains poorly understood. Crucial advances in this area in the third decade of checkpoint studies (2011–2020) are likely to be brought about by the characterization of the mechanism of kinetochore recruitment, activation and inactivation of checkpoint proteins, which remains elusive for the majority of checkpoint components. Here, we take a molecular view on the main challenges hampering this task.

Transcriptional regulation is a major controller of cell cycle transition dynamics

DNA replication, mitosis and mitotic exit are critical transitions of the cell cycle which normally occur only once per cycle. A universal control mechanism was proposed for the regulation of mitotic entry in which Cdk helps its own activation through two positive feedback loops. Recent discoveries in various organisms showed the importance of positive feedbacks in other transitions as well. Here we investigate if a universal control system with transcriptional regulation(s) and post-translational positive feedback(s) can be proposed for the regulation of all cell cycle transitions. Through computational modeling, we analyze the transition dynamics in all possible combinations of transcriptional and post-translational regulations. We find that some combinations lead to ‘sloppy’ transitions, while others give very precise control. The periodic transcriptional regulation through the activator or the inhibitor leads to radically different dynamics. Experimental evidence shows that in cell cycle transitions of organisms investigated for cell cycle dependent periodic transcription, only the inhibitor OR the activator is under cyclic control and never both of them. Based on these observations, we propose two transcriptional control modes of cell cycle regulation that either STOP or let the cycle GO in case of a transcriptional failure. We discuss the biological relevance of such differences.

How mitotic errors contribute to karyotypic diversity in cancer

Aneuploidy is a common feature of cancer cells, and is believed to play a critical role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Most cancer cells also exhibit high rates of mitotic chromosome mis-segregation, a phenomenon known as chromosomal instability, which leads to high variability of the karyotype. Here, we describe the nature, nuances, and implications of cancer karyotypic diversity. Moreover, we summarize recent studies aimed at identifying the mitotic defects that may be responsible for inducing chromosome mis-segregation in cancer cells. These include kinetochore attachment errors, spindle assembly checkpoint dysfunction, mitotic spindle defects, and other cell division inaccuracies. Finally, we discuss how such mitotic errors generate karyotypic diversity in cancer cells.

Timing of centrosome separation is important for accurate chromosome segregation

Spindle assembly, establishment of kinetochore attachment, and sister chromatid separation must occur during mitosis in a highly coordinated fashion to ensure accurate chromosome segregation. In most vertebrate cells, the nuclear envelope must break down to allow interaction between microtubules of the mitotic spindle and the kinetochores. It was previously shown that nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB) is not coordinated with centrosome separation and that centrosome separation can be either complete at the time of NEB or can be completed after NEB. In this study, we investigated whether the timing of centrosome separation affects subsequent mitotic events such as establishment of kinetochore attachment or chromosome segregation. We used a combination of experimental and computational approaches to investigate kinetochore attachment and chromosome segregation in cells with complete versus incomplete spindle pole separation at NEB. We found that cells with incomplete spindle pole separation exhibit higher rates of kinetochore misattachments and chromosome missegregation than cells that complete centrosome separation before NEB. Moreover, our mathematical model showed that two spindle poles in close proximity do not "search" the entire cellular space, leading to formation of large numbers of syntelic attachments, which can be an intermediate stage in the formation of merotelic kinetochores.

Monitoring the fidelity of mitotic chromosome segregation by the spindle assembly checkpoint

Accurate chromosome segregation relies on activity of the spindle assembly checkpoint, a surveillance mechanism that prevents premature anaphase onset until all chromosomes are properly attached to the mitotic spindle apparatus and aligned at the metaphase plate. Defects in this mechanism contribute to chromosome instability and aneuploidy, a hallmark of malignant cells. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms of activation and silencing of the spindle assembly checkpoint and its relationship to tumourigenesis.

KNL1/Spc105 recruits PP1 to silence the spindle assembly checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) delays anaphase onset until kinetochores accomplish bioriented microtubule attachments [1]. Although several centromeric and kinetochore kinases, including Aurora B, regulate kinetochore-microtubule attachment and/or SAC activation [2-4], the molecular mechanism that translates bioriented attachment into SAC silencing remains unclear [5]. Employing a method to rapidly induce exact gene replacement in budding yeast [6], we show here that the binding of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1/Glc7) to the evolutionarily conserved RVSF motif of the kinetochore protein Spc105 (KNL1/Blinkin/CASC5) is essential for viability by silencing the SAC, while it plays an auxiliary nonessential role for physical chromosome segregation. Although Aurora B may inhibit this binding, persistent PP1-Spc105 interaction does not affect chromosome segregation and is insufficient to silence the SAC in the absence of microtubules, indicating that dynamic regulation of this interaction is dispensable. However, the amount of PP1 targeted to kinetochores must be finely tuned, because recruitment of either no or one extra copy of PP1 to Spc105 is detrimental, illustrating the vital impact of targeting an exiguous fraction of PP1 to the kinetochore. We propose that the PP1-Spc105 interaction enables local regulation of dynamic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation at the kinetochore to couple microtubule attachment and SAC silencing.

Mitosis in vertebrates: the G2/M and M/A transitions and their associated checkpoints

In this review, I stress the importance of direct data and accurate terminology when formulating and communicating conclusions on how the G2/M and metaphase/anaphase transitions are regulated. I argue that entry into mitosis (i.e., the G2/M transition) is guarded by several checkpoint control pathways that lose their ability to delay or stop further cell cycle progression once the cell becomes committed to divide, which in vertebrates occurs in the late stages of chromosome condensation. After this commitment, progress through mitosis is then mediated by a single Mad/Bub-based checkpoint that delays chromatid separation, and exit from mitosis (i.e., completion of the cell cycle) in the presence of unattached kinetochores. When cells cannot satisfy the mitotic checkpoint, e.g., when in concentrations of spindle poisons that prohibit the stable attachment of all kinetochores, they are delayed in mitosis for many hours. In normal cells, the duration of this delay depends on the organism and ranges from ∼4 h in rodents to ∼22 h in humans. Recent live cell studies reveal that under this condition, many cancer cells (including HeLa and U2OS) die in mitosis by apoptosis within ∼24 h, which implies that biochemical studies on cancer cell populations harvested in mitosis after a prolonged mitotic arrest are contaminated with dead or dying cells.

Evidence that Aurora B is implicated in spindle checkpoint signalling independently of error correction

Aurora B kinase corrects aberrant microtubule-chromosome attachments during mitosis. This function derives from Aurora B's role in the spindle assembly checkpoint, independently of its established role in the tension dependent microtubule-chromosome error correction mechanism.

Fidelity of chromosome segregation is ensured by a tension-dependent error correction system that prevents stabilization of incorrect chromosome–microtubule attachments. Unattached or incorrectly attached chromosomes also activate the spindle assembly checkpoint, thus delaying mitotic exit until all chromosomes are bioriented. The Aurora B kinase is widely recognized as a component of error correction. Conversely, its role in the checkpoint is controversial. Here, we report an analysis of the role of Aurora B in the spindle checkpoint under conditions believed to uncouple the effects of Aurora B inhibition on the checkpoint from those on error correction. Partial inhibition of several checkpoint and kinetochore components, including Mps1 and Ndc80, strongly synergizes with inhibition of Aurora B activity and dramatically affects the ability of cells to arrest in mitosis in the presence of spindle poisons. Thus, Aurora B might contribute to spindle checkpoint signalling independently of error correction. Our results support a model in which Aurora B is at the apex of a signalling pyramid whose sensory apparatus promotes the concomitant activation of error correction and checkpoint signalling pathways.

Merotelic kinetochore attachment: causes and effects

Accurate chromosome segregation depends on the proper attachment of sister kinetochores to microtubules emanating from opposite spindle poles. Merotelic kinetochore orientation is an error in which a single kinetochore is attached to microtubules emanating from both spindle poles. Despite correction mechanisms, merotelically attached kinetochores can persist until anaphase, causing chromatids to lag on the mitotic spindle and hindering their timely segregation. Recent studies showing that merotelic kinetochore attachment represents a major mechanism of aneuploidy in mitotic cells and is the primary mechanism of chromosomal instability in cancer cells have underlined the importance of studying merotely. Here, we highlight recent progress in our understanding of how cells prevent and correct merotelic kinetochore attachments.

Kinetochore-microtubule interactions: steps towards bi-orientation

Eukaryotic cells segregate their chromosomes accurately to opposite poles during mitosis, which is necessary for maintenance of their genetic integrity. This process mainly relies on the forces generated by kinetochore-microtubule (KT-MT) attachment. During prometaphase, the KT initially interacts with a single MT extending from a spindle pole and then moves towards a spindle pole. Subsequently, MTs from the other spindle pole also interact with the KT. Eventually, one sister KT becomes attached to MTs from one pole while the other sister to those from the other pole (sister KT bi-orientation). If sister KTs interact with MTs with aberrant orientation, this must be corrected to attain proper bi-orientation (error correction) before the anaphase is initiated. Here, I discuss how KTs initially interact with MTs and how this interaction develops into bi-orientation; both processes are fundamentally crucial for proper chromosome segregation in the subsequent anaphase.

Centromere tension: a divisive issue

It has been proposed that the spindle assembly checkpoint detects both unattached kinetochores and lack of tension between sister kinetochores when sister chromatids are not attached to opposite spindle poles. However, here we argue that there is only one signal — whether kinetochores are attached to microtubules or not — and this has implications for our understanding of both chromosome segregation and the control of genomic stability.

The centrosomal protein TACC3 controls paclitaxel sensitivity by modulating a premature senescence program

Microtubule-interfering cancer drugs such as paclitaxel (PTX) often cause chemoresistance and severe side effects, including neurotoxicity. To explore potentially novel antineoplastic molecular targets, we investigated the cellular response of breast carcinoma cells to short hairpin(sh)RNA-mediated depletion of the centrosomal protein transforming acidic coiled coil (TACC) 3, an Aurora A kinase target expressed during mitosis. Unlike PTX, knockdown of TACC3 did not trigger a cell death response, but instead resulted in a progressive loss of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein Bim that links microtubule integrity to spindle poison-induced cell death. Interestingly, TACC3-depleted cells arrested in G₁ through a cellular senescence program characterized by the upregulation of nuclear p21(WAF), downregulation of the retinoblastoma protein and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, formation of HP1γ (phospho-Ser83)-positive senescence-associated heterochromatic foci and increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity. Remarkably, the onset of senescence following TACC3 knockdown was strongly accelerated in the presence of non-toxic PTX concentrations. Thus, we conclude that mitotic spindle stress is a major trigger of premature senescence and propose that the combined targeting of the centrosomal Aurora A-TACC3 axis together with drugs interfering with microtubule dynamics may efficiently improve the chemosensitivity of cancer cells.

Molecular architecture of the DNA replication origin activation checkpoint

Perturbation of DNA replication initiation arrests human cells in G1, pointing towards an origin activation checkpoint. We used RNAi against Cdc7 kinase to inhibit replication initiation and dissect this checkpoint in fibroblasts. We show that the checkpoint response is dependent on three axes coordinated through the transcription factor FoxO3a. In arrested cells, FoxO3a activates the ARF-∣Hdm2-∣p53 → p21 pathway and mediates p15(INK4B) upregulation; p53 in turn activates expression of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling antagonist Dkk3, leading to Myc and cyclin D1 downregulation. The resulting loss of CDK activity inactivates the Rb-E2F pathway and overrides the G1-S transcriptional programme. Fibroblasts concomitantly depleted of Cdc7/FoxO3a, Cdc7/p15, Cdc7/p53 or Cdc7/Dkk3 can bypass the arrest and proceed into an abortive S phase followed by apoptosis. The lack of redundancy between the checkpoint axes and reliance on several tumour suppressor proteins commonly inactivated in human tumours provides a mechanistic basis for the cancer-cell-specific killing observed with emerging Cdc7 inhibitors.

Cell cycle: deconstructing tension

Prior to anaphase, sister chromatids must be attached to microtubules and under tension, a condition that satisfies the spindle checkpoint. Removal of sister chromatid cohesion is predicted to cause a fall in tension. Two studies shed light on how cells avoid re-activation of the spindle checkpoint when cohesion is lost.

P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activity is required during mitosis for timely satisfaction of the mitotic checkpoint but not for the fidelity of chromosome segregation

We find that in the absence of p38 activity, human cells form longer spindles on which mitotic checkpoint satisfaction is transiently delayed. However, the cells ultimately divide normally. We conclude that normal p38 activity is required for the timely attachment of kinetochores to the spindle, but not for the fidelity of mitosis.

Although p38 activity is reported to be required as cells enter mitosis for proper spindle assembly and checkpoint function, its role during the division process remains controversial in lieu of direct data. We therefore conducted live cell studies to determine the effect on mitosis of inhibiting or depleting p38. We found that in the absence of p38 activity the duration of mitosis is prolonged by ∼40% in nontransformed human RPE-1, ∼80% in PtK2 (rat kangaroo), and ∼25% in mouse cells, and this prolongation leads to an elevated mitotic index. However, under this condition chromatid segregation and cytokinesis are normal. Using Mad2/YFP-expressing cells, we show the prolongation of mitosis in the absence of p38 activity is directly due to a delay in satisfying the mitotic checkpoint. Inhibiting p38 did not affect the rate of chromosome motion; however, it did lead to the formation of significantly (10%) longer metaphase spindles. From these data we conclude that normal p38 activity is required for the timely stable attachment of all kinetochores to spindle microtubules, but not for the fidelity of the mitotic process. We speculate that p38 activity promotes timely checkpoint satisfaction by indirectly influencing those motor proteins (e.g., Klp10, Klp67A) involved in regulating the dynamics of kinetochore microtubule ends.