1
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Chen M, Zhu H, Li J, Luo D, Zhang J, Liu W, Wang J. Research progress on the relationship between AURKA and tumorigenesis: the neglected nuclear function of AURKA. Ann Med 2024; 56:2282184. [PMID: 38738386 PMCID: PMC11095293 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2282184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
AURKA is a threonine or serine kinase that needs to be activated by TPX2, Bora and other factors. AURKA is located on chromosome 20 and is amplified or overexpressed in many human cancers, such as breast cancer. AURKA regulates some basic cellular processes, and this regulation is realized via the phosphorylation of downstream substrates. AURKA can function in either the cytoplasm or the nucleus. It can promote the transcription and expression of oncogenes together with other transcription factors in the nucleus, including FoxM1, C-Myc, and NF-κB. In addition, it also sustains carcinogenic signaling, such as N-Myc and Wnt signaling. This article will focus on the role of AURKA in the nucleus and its carcinogenic characteristics that are independent of its kinase activity to provide a theoretical explanation for mechanisms of resistance to kinase inhibitors and a reference for future research on targeted inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghua Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Huijun Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Danjing Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jiaming Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Wenqi Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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2
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McNally K, McNally F. Auxin-induced degradation of the aurora A kinase, AIR-1, in C. elegans does not prevent assembly of bipolar meiotic spindles. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001123. [PMID: 38362120 PMCID: PMC10867633 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Chromosome segregation during mitosis and male meiosis is mediated by centrosomal spindles that require the activity of the aurora A kinase, whereas female meiotic spindles of many species are acentrosomal. We addressed the role of the C. elegans aurora A kinase, AIR-1 , in acentrosomal spindle assembly by generating a strain in which AIR-1 is tagged with both an auxin-induced degron and HALO tag. The meiotic spindle pole marker, MEI-1 , and chromosomes were labeled with GFP and mCH::histone respectively. All meiotic spindles were bipolar in AIR-1 depleted embryos, however an increase in lagging chromosomes was observed during anaphase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen McNally
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
| | - Francis McNally
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States
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3
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Pierron M, Woglar A, Busso C, Jha K, Mikeladze‐Dvali T, Croisier M, Gönczy P. Centriole elimination during Caenorhabditis elegans oogenesis initiates with loss of the central tube protein SAS-1. EMBO J 2023; 42:e115076. [PMID: 37987153 PMCID: PMC10711648 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023115076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In most metazoans, centrioles are lost during oogenesis, ensuring that the zygote is endowed with the correct number of two centrioles, which are paternally contributed. How centriole architecture is dismantled during oogenesis is not understood. Here, we analyze with unprecedent detail the ultrastructural and molecular changes during oogenesis centriole elimination in Caenorhabditis elegans. Centriole elimination begins with loss of the so-called central tube and organelle widening, followed by microtubule disassembly. The resulting cluster of centriolar proteins then disappears gradually, usually moving in a microtubule- and dynein-dependent manner to the plasma membrane. Our analysis indicates that neither Polo-like kinases nor the PCM, which modulate oogenesis centriole elimination in Drosophila, do so in C. elegans. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the central tube protein SAS-1 normally departs initially from the organelle, which loses integrity earlier in sas-1 mutants. Overall, our work provides novel mechanistic insights regarding the fundamental process of oogenesis centriole elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Pierron
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life SciencesSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Alexander Woglar
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life SciencesSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Coralie Busso
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life SciencesSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Keshav Jha
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life SciencesSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | | | - Marie Croisier
- BIO‐EM platform, School of Life SciencesSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life SciencesSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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4
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Calvi I, Schwager F, Gotta M. PP1 phosphatases control PAR-2 localization and polarity establishment in C. elegans embryos. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:213453. [PMID: 36083688 PMCID: PMC9467853 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202201048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity relies on the asymmetric distribution of the conserved PAR proteins, which is regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation reactions. While the kinases involved have been well studied, the role of phosphatases remains poorly understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans zygotes, phosphorylation of the posterior PAR-2 protein by the atypical protein kinase PKC-3 inhibits PAR-2 cortical localization. Polarity establishment depends on loading of PAR-2 at the posterior cortex. We show that the PP1 phosphatases GSP-1 and GSP-2 are required for polarity establishment in embryos. We find that codepletion of GSP-1 and GSP-2 abrogates the cortical localization of PAR-2 and that GSP-1 and GSP-2 interact with PAR-2 via a PP1 docking motif in PAR-2. Mutating this motif in vivo, to prevent binding of PAR-2 to PP1, abolishes cortical localization of PAR-2, while optimizing this motif extends PAR-2 cortical localization. Our data suggest a model in which GSP-1/-2 counteracts PKC-3 phosphorylation of PAR-2, allowing its cortical localization at the posterior and polarization of the one-cell embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Calvi
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Françoise Schwager
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Monica Gotta
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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5
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Woglar A, Pierron M, Schneider FZ, Jha K, Busso C, Gönczy P. Molecular architecture of the C. elegans centriole. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001784. [PMID: 36107993 PMCID: PMC9531800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncovering organizing principles of organelle assembly is a fundamental pursuit in the life sciences. Caenorhabditis elegans was key in identifying evolutionary conserved components governing assembly of the centriole organelle. However, localizing these components with high precision has been hampered by the minute size of the worm centriole, thus impeding understanding of underlying assembly mechanisms. Here, we used Ultrastructure Expansion coupled with STimulated Emission Depletion (U-Ex-STED) microscopy, as well as electron microscopy (EM) and electron tomography (ET), to decipher the molecular architecture of the worm centriole. Achieving an effective lateral resolution of approximately 14 nm, we localize centriolar and PeriCentriolar Material (PCM) components in a comprehensive manner with utmost spatial precision. We found that all 12 components analysed exhibit a ring-like distribution with distinct diameters and often with a 9-fold radial symmetry. Moreover, we uncovered that the procentriole assembles at a location on the centriole margin where SPD-2 and ZYG-1 also accumulate. Moreover, SAS-6 and SAS-5 were found to be present in the nascent procentriole, with SAS-4 and microtubules recruited thereafter. We registered U-Ex-STED and EM data using the radial array of microtubules, thus allowing us to map each centriolar and PCM protein to a specific ultrastructural compartment. Importantly, we discovered that SAS-6 and SAS-4 exhibit a radial symmetry that is offset relative to microtubules, leading to a chiral centriole ensemble. Furthermore, we established that the centriole is surrounded by a region from which ribosomes are excluded and to which SAS-7 localizes. Overall, our work uncovers the molecular architecture of the C. elegans centriole in unprecedented detail and establishes a comprehensive framework for understanding mechanisms of organelle biogenesis and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Woglar
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie Pierron
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabian Zacharias Schneider
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Keshav Jha
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Coralie Busso
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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6
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Lacroix B, Dumont J. Spatial and Temporal Scaling of Microtubules and Mitotic Spindles. Cells 2022; 11:cells11020248. [PMID: 35053364 PMCID: PMC8774166 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
During cell division, the mitotic spindle, a macromolecular structure primarily comprised of microtubules, drives chromosome alignment and partitioning between daughter cells. Mitotic spindles can sense cellular dimensions in order to adapt their length and mass to cell size. This scaling capacity is particularly remarkable during early embryo cleavage when cells divide rapidly in the absence of cell growth, thus leading to a reduction of cell volume at each division. Although mitotic spindle size scaling can occur over an order of magnitude in early embryos, in many species the duration of mitosis is relatively short, constant throughout early development and independent of cell size. Therefore, a key challenge for cells during embryo cleavage is not only to assemble a spindle of proper size, but also to do it in an appropriate time window which is compatible with embryo development. How spatial and temporal scaling of the mitotic spindle is achieved and coordinated with the duration of mitosis remains elusive. In this review, we will focus on the mechanisms that support mitotic spindle spatial and temporal scaling over a wide range of cell sizes and cellular contexts. We will present current models and propose alternative mechanisms allowing cells to spatially and temporally coordinate microtubule and mitotic spindle assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lacroix
- Centre de Recherche de Biologie Cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), CNRS UMR 5237, Université de Montpellier, 1919 Route de Mende, CEDEX 5, 34293 Montpellier, France
- Correspondence:
| | - Julien Dumont
- Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013 Paris, France;
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7
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Whately KM, Voronkova MA, Maskey A, Gandhi J, Loskutov J, Choi H, Yanardag S, Chen D, Wen S, Margaryan NV, Smolkin MB, Purazo ML, Hu G, Pugacheva EN. Nuclear Aurora-A kinase-induced hypoxia signaling drives early dissemination and metastasis in breast cancer: implications for detection of metastatic tumors. Oncogene 2021; 40:5651-5664. [PMID: 34326467 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01969-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Metastatic breast cancer causes most breast cancer-associated deaths, especially in triple negative breast cancers (TNBC). The metastatic drivers of TNBCs are still poorly understood, and effective treatment non-existent. Here we reveal that the presence of Aurora-A Kinase (AURKA) in the nucleus and metastatic dissemination are molecularly connected through HIF1 (Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1) signaling. Nuclear AURKA activates transcription of "hypoxia-induced genes" under normoxic conditions (pseudohypoxia) and without upregulation of oxygen-sensitive HIF1A subunit. We uncover that AURKA preferentially binds to HIF1B and co-localizes with the HIF complex on DNA. The mass-spectrometry analysis of the AURKA complex further confirmed the presence of CBP and p300 along with other TFIIB/RNApol II components. Importantly, the expression of multiple HIF-dependent genes induced by nuclear AURKA (N-AURKA), including migration/invasion, survival/death, and stemness, promote early cancer dissemination. These results indicate that nuclear, but not cytoplasmic, AURKA is a novel driver of early metastasis. Analysis of clinical tumor specimens revealed a correlation between N-AURKA presence and decreased patient survival. Our results establish a mechanistic link between two critical pathways in cancer metastasis, identifying nuclear AURKA as a crucial upstream regulator of the HIF1 transcription complex and a target for anti-metastatic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M Whately
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Maria A Voronkova
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Abha Maskey
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Jasleen Gandhi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Juergen Loskutov
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Hyeran Choi
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Sila Yanardag
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Dongquan Chen
- Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sijin Wen
- WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Naira V Margaryan
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Matthew B Smolkin
- Department of Pathology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Marc L Purazo
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Gangqing Hu
- WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Elena N Pugacheva
- Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA. .,WVU Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
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8
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Mou PK, Yang EJ, Shi C, Ren G, Tao S, Shim JS. Aurora kinase A, a synthetic lethal target for precision cancer medicine. Exp Mol Med 2021; 53:835-847. [PMID: 34050264 PMCID: PMC8178373 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00635-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies and data science have facilitated the development of precision medicine to treat cancer patients. Synthetic lethality is one of the core methodologies employed in precision cancer medicine. Synthetic lethality describes the phenomenon of the interplay between two genes in which deficiency of a single gene does not abolish cell viability but combined deficiency of two genes leads to cell death. In cancer treatment, synthetic lethality is leveraged to exploit the dependency of cancer cells on a pathway that is essential for cell survival when a tumor suppressor is mutated. This approach enables pharmacological targeting of mutant tumor suppressors that are theoretically undruggable. Successful clinical introduction of BRCA-PARP synthetic lethality in cancer treatment led to additional discoveries of novel synthetic lethal partners of other tumor suppressors, including p53, PTEN, and RB1, using high-throughput screening. Recent work has highlighted aurora kinase A (AURKA) as a synthetic lethal partner of multiple tumor suppressors. AURKA is a serine/threonine kinase involved in a number of central biological processes, such as the G2/M transition, mitotic spindle assembly, and DNA replication. This review introduces synthetic lethal interactions between AURKA and its tumor suppressor partners and discusses the potential of AURKA inhibitors in precision cancer medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pui Kei Mou
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Eun Ju Yang
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Changxiang Shi
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Guowen Ren
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Shishi Tao
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Joong Sup Shim
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China. .,MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China.
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9
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Delattre M, Goehring NW. The first steps in the life of a worm: Themes and variations in asymmetric division in C. elegans and other nematodes. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 144:269-308. [PMID: 33992156 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Starting with Boveri in the 1870s, microscopic investigation of early embryogenesis in a broad swath of nematode species revealed the central role of asymmetric cell division in embryonic axis specification, blastomere positioning, and cell fate specification. Notably, across the class Chromadorea, a conserved theme emerges-asymmetry is first established in the zygote and specifies its asymmetric division, giving rise to an anterior somatic daughter cell and a posterior germline daughter cell. Beginning in the 1980s, the emergence of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism saw the advent of genetic tools that enabled rapid progress in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying asymmetric division, in many cases defining key paradigms that turn out to regulate asymmetric division in a wide range of systems. Yet, the consequence of this focus on C. elegans came at the expense of exploring the extant diversity of developmental variation exhibited across nematode species. Given the resurgent interest in evolutionary studies facilitated in part by new tools, here we revisit the diversity in this asymmetric first division, juxtaposing molecular insight into mechanisms of symmetry-breaking, spindle positioning and fate specification, with a consideration of plasticity and variability within and between species. In the process, we hope to highlight questions of evolutionary forces and molecular variation that may have shaped the extant diversity of developmental mechanisms observed across Nematoda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Delattre
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Inserm, UCBL, Lyon, France.
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10
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Park H, Kim H, Hassebroek V, Azuma Y, Slawson C, Azuma M. Chromosomal localization of Ewing sarcoma EWSR1/FLI1 protein promotes the induction of aneuploidy. J Biol Chem 2020; 296:100164. [PMID: 33293370 PMCID: PMC7857440 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a pediatric bone cancer that expresses the chimeric protein EWSR1/FLI1. We previously demonstrated that EWSR1/FLI1 impairs the localization of Aurora B kinase to the midzone (the midline structure located between segregating chromosomes) during anaphase. While localization of Aurora B is essential for faithful cell division, it is unknown whether interference with midzone organization by EWSR1/FLI1 induces aneuploidy. To address this, we generated stable Tet-on inducible cell lines with EWSR1/FLI1, using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to integrate the transgene at the safe-harbor AAVS1 locus in DLD-1 cells. Induced cells expressing EWSR1/FLI1 displayed an increased incidence of aberrant localization of Aurora B, and greater levels of aneuploidy, compared with noninduced cells. Furthermore, the expression of EWSR1/FLI1-T79A, containing a threonine (Thr) to alanine (Ala) substitution at amino acid 79, failed to induce these phenotypes, indicating that Thr 79 is critical for EWSR1/FLI1 interference with mitosis. In contrast, the phosphomimetic mutant EWSR1/FLI1-T79D (Thr to aspartic acid (Asp)) retained the high activity as wild-type EWSR1/FLI1. Together, these findings suggest that phosphorylation of EWSR1/FLI1 at Thr 79 promotes the colocalization of EWSR1/FLI1 and Aurora B on the chromosomes during prophase and metaphase and, in addition, impairs the localization of Aurora B during anaphase, leading to induction of aneuploidy. This is the first demonstration of the mechanism for EWSR1/FLI1-dependent induction of aneuploidy associated with mitotic dysfunction and the identification of the phosphorylation of the Thr 79 of EWSR1/FLI1 as a critical residue required for this induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyewon Park
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Haeyoung Kim
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Victoria Hassebroek
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Yoshiaki Azuma
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Chad Slawson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City Kansas, USA
| | - Mizuki Azuma
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.
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11
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Kapoor S, Kotak S. Centrosome Aurora A regulates RhoGEF ECT-2 localisation and ensures a single PAR-2 polarity axis in C. elegans embryos. Development 2019; 146:dev.174565. [PMID: 31636075 DOI: 10.1242/dev.174565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Proper establishment of cell polarity is essential for development. In the one-cell C. elegans embryo, a centrosome-localised signal provides spatial information for polarity establishment. It is hypothesised that this signal causes local inhibition of the cortical actomyosin network, and breaks symmetry to direct partitioning of the PAR proteins. However, the molecular nature of the centrosomal signal that triggers cortical anisotropy in the actomyosin network to promote polarity establishment remains elusive. Here, we discover that depletion of Aurora A kinase (AIR-1 in C. elegans) causes pronounced cortical contractions on the embryo surface, and this creates more than one PAR-2 polarity axis. This function of AIR-1 appears to be independent of its role in microtubule nucleation. Importantly, upon AIR-1 depletion, centrosome positioning becomes dispensable in dictating the PAR-2 axis. Moreover, we uncovered that a Rho GEF, ECT-2, acts downstream of AIR-1 in regulating contractility and PAR-2 localisation, and, notably, AIR-1 depletion influences ECT-2 cortical localisation. Overall, this study provides a novel insight into how an evolutionarily conserved centrosome Aurora A kinase inhibits promiscuous PAR-2 domain formation to ensure singularity in the polarity establishment axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukriti Kapoor
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology (MCB), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Sachin Kotak
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology (MCB), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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12
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Bowerman B, Sugioka K. Breaking Symmetry: Worm Cue Finally Found. Dev Cell 2019; 48:593-594. [PMID: 30861371 PMCID: PMC7685514 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this issue of Developmental Cell, Zhao et al. (2019) show that the Aurora A kinase AIR-1 is the long-sought cue that downregulates cortical actomyosin to establish anterior-posterior polarity in the C. elegans zygote, diffusing from centrosomes to the overlying cortex to phosphorylate yet to be identified target(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Bowerman
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Kenji Sugioka
- Department of Zoology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
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13
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Reich JD, Hubatsch L, Illukkumbura R, Peglion F, Bland T, Hirani N, Goehring NW. Regulated Activation of the PAR Polarity Network Ensures a Timely and Specific Response to Spatial Cues. Curr Biol 2019; 29:1911-1923.e5. [PMID: 31155349 PMCID: PMC6584329 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.04.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
How do cells polarize at the correct time and in response to the correct cues? In the C. elegans zygote, the timing and geometry of polarization rely on a single dominant cue-the sperm centrosome-that matures at the end of meiosis and specifies the nascent posterior. Polarization requires that the conserved PAR proteins, which specify polarity in the zygote, be poised to respond to the centrosome. Yet, how and when PAR proteins achieve this unpolarized, but responsive, state is unknown. We show that oocyte maturation initiates a fertilization-independent PAR activation program. PAR proteins are initially not competent to polarize but gradually acquire this ability following oocyte maturation. Surprisingly, this program allows symmetry breaking even in unfertilized oocytes lacking centrosomes. Thus, if PAR proteins can respond to multiple polarizing cues, how is specificity for the centrosome achieved? Specificity is enforced by Polo-like and Aurora kinases (PLK-1 and AIR-1 in C. elegans), which impose a delay in the activation of the PAR network so that it coincides with maturation of the centrosome cue. This delay suppresses polarization by non-centrosomal cues, which can otherwise trigger premature polarization and multiple or reversed polarity domains. Taken together, these findings identify a regulatory program that enforces proper polarization by synchronizing PAR network activation with cell cycle progression, thereby ensuring that PAR proteins respond specifically to the correct cue. Temporal control of polarity network activity is likely to be a common strategy to ensure robust, dynamic, and specific polarization in response to developmentally deployed cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D Reich
- The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Lars Hubatsch
- The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Florent Peglion
- The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Tom Bland
- The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nisha Hirani
- The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Nathan W Goehring
- The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK; Medical Research Council Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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14
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Aurora kinase protein family in Trypanosoma cruzi: Novel role of an AUK-B homologue in kinetoplast replication. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007256. [PMID: 30897087 PMCID: PMC6445472 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aurora kinases constitute a family of enzymes that play a key role during metazoan cells division, being involved in events like centrosome maturation and division, chromatin condensation, mitotic spindle assembly, control of kinetochore-microtubule attachments, and cytokinesis initiation. In this work, three Aurora kinase homologues were identified in Trypanosoma cruzi (TcAUK1, -2 and -3), a protozoan parasite of the Kinetoplastida Class. The genomic organization of these enzymes was fully analyzed, demonstrating that TcAUK1 is a single-copy gene, TcAUK2 coding sequence is present in two different forms (short and long) and TcAUK3 is a multi-copy gene. The three TcAUK genes are actively expressed in the different life cycle forms of T. cruzi (amastigotes, trypomastigotes and epimastigotes). TcAUK1 showed a changing localization along the cell cycle of the proliferating epimastigote form: at interphase it is located at the extremes of the kinetoplast while in mitosis it is detected at the cell nucleus, in close association with the mitotic spindle. Overexpression of TcAUK1 in epimastigotes leaded to a delay in the G2/M phases of the cell cycle due a retarded beginning of kinetoplast duplication. By immunofluorescence, we found that when it was overexpressed TcAUK1 lost its localization at the extremes of the kinetoplast during interphase, being observed inside the cell nucleus throughout the entire cell cycle. In summary, TcAUK1 appears to be a functional homologue of human Aurora B kinase, as it is related to mitotic spindle assembling and chromosome segregation. Moreover, TcAUK1 also seems to play a role during the initiation of kinetoplast duplication, a novel role described for this protein.
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15
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Zhao P, Teng X, Tantirimudalige SN, Nishikawa M, Wohland T, Toyama Y, Motegi F. Aurora-A Breaks Symmetry in Contractile Actomyosin Networks Independently of Its Role in Centrosome Maturation. Dev Cell 2019; 48:631-645.e6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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16
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Klinkert K, Levernier N, Gross P, Gentili C, von Tobel L, Pierron M, Busso C, Herrman S, Grill SW, Kruse K, Gönczy P. Aurora A depletion reveals centrosome-independent polarization mechanism in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2019; 8:e44552. [PMID: 30801250 PMCID: PMC6417861 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
How living systems break symmetry in an organized manner is a fundamental question in biology. In wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans zygotes, symmetry breaking during anterior-posterior axis specification is guided by centrosomes, resulting in anterior-directed cortical flows and a single posterior PAR-2 domain. We uncover that C. elegans zygotes depleted of the Aurora A kinase AIR-1 or lacking centrosomes entirely usually establish two posterior PAR-2 domains, one at each pole. We demonstrate that AIR-1 prevents symmetry breaking early in the cell cycle, whereas centrosomal AIR-1 instructs polarity initiation thereafter. Using triangular microfabricated chambers, we establish that bipolarity of air-1(RNAi) embryos occurs effectively in a cell-shape and curvature-dependent manner. Furthermore, we develop an integrated physical description of symmetry breaking, wherein local PAR-2-dependent weakening of the actin cortex, together with mutual inhibition of anterior and posterior PAR proteins, provides a mechanism for spontaneous symmetry breaking without centrosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Klinkert
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Nicolas Levernier
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Department of Theoretical PhysicsUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | | | - Christian Gentili
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Lukas von Tobel
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Marie Pierron
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Coralie Busso
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Sarah Herrman
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Stephan W Grill
- BIOTECTU DresdenDresdenGermany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsDresdenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of LifeTU DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Karsten Kruse
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Department of Theoretical PhysicsUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- National Center of Competence in Research Chemical Biology, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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17
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Navarro-Serer B, Childers EP, Hermance NM, Mercadante D, Manning AL. Aurora A inhibition limits centrosome clustering and promotes mitotic catastrophe in cells with supernumerary centrosomes. Oncotarget 2019; 10:1649-1659. [PMID: 30899434 PMCID: PMC6422193 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of supernumerary centrosomes is prevalent in cancer, where they promote the formation of transient multipolar mitotic spindles. Active clustering of supernumerary centrosomes enables the formation of a functional bipolar spindle that is competent to complete a bipolar division. Disruption of spindle pole clustering in cancer cells promotes multipolar division and generation of non-proliferative daughter cells with compromised viability. Hence molecular pathways required for spindle pole clustering in cells with supernumerary centrosomes, but dispensable in normal cells, are promising therapeutic targets. Here we demonstrate that Aurora A kinase activity is required for spindle pole clustering in cells with extra centrosomes. While cells with two centrosomes are ultimately able to build a bipolar spindle and proceed through a normal cell division in the presence of Aurora A inhibition, cells with supernumerary centrosomes form multipolar and disorganized spindles that are not competent for chromosome segregation. Instead, following a prolonged mitosis, these cells experience catastrophic divisions that result in grossly aneuploid, and non-proliferative daughter cells. Aurora A inhibition in a panel of Acute Myeloid Leukemia cancer cells has a similarly disparate impact on cells with supernumerary centrosomes, suggesting that centrosome number and spindle polarity may serve as predictive biomarkers for response to therapeutic approaches that target Aurora A kinase function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernat Navarro-Serer
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Eva P Childers
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Nicole M Hermance
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dayna Mercadante
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Amity L Manning
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester, MA, USA
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18
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Magnaghi-Jaulin L, Eot-Houllier G, Gallaud E, Giet R. Aurora A Protein Kinase: To the Centrosome and Beyond. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9010028. [PMID: 30650622 PMCID: PMC6359016 DOI: 10.3390/biom9010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate chromosome segregation requires the perfect spatiotemporal rearrangement of the cellular cytoskeleton. Isolated more than two decades ago from Drosophila, Aurora A is a widespread protein kinase that plays key roles during cell division. Numerous studies have described the localisation of Aurora A at centrosomes, the mitotic spindle, and, more recently, at mitotic centromeres. In this review, we will summarise the cytoskeletal rearrangements regulated by Aurora A during cell division. We will also discuss the recent discoveries showing that Aurora A also controls not only the dynamics of the cortical proteins but also regulates the centromeric proteins, revealing new roles for this kinase during cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Magnaghi-Jaulin
- University of Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, IGDR-Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Grégory Eot-Houllier
- University of Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, IGDR-Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Emmanuel Gallaud
- University of Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, IGDR-Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Régis Giet
- University of Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, IGDR-Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France.
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19
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Willems E, Dedobbeleer M, Digregorio M, Lombard A, Lumapat PN, Rogister B. The functional diversity of Aurora kinases: a comprehensive review. Cell Div 2018; 13:7. [PMID: 30250494 PMCID: PMC6146527 DOI: 10.1186/s13008-018-0040-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aurora kinases are serine/threonine kinases essential for the onset and progression of mitosis. Aurora members share a similar protein structure and kinase activity, but exhibit distinct cellular and subcellular localization. AurA favors the G2/M transition by promoting centrosome maturation and mitotic spindle assembly. AurB and AurC are chromosome-passenger complex proteins, crucial for chromosome binding to kinetochores and segregation of chromosomes. Cellular distribution of AurB is ubiquitous, while AurC expression is mainly restricted to meiotically-active germ cells. In human tumors, all Aurora kinase members play oncogenic roles related to their mitotic activity and promote cancer cell survival and proliferation. Furthermore, AurA plays tumor-promoting roles unrelated to mitosis, including tumor stemness, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and invasion. In this review, we aim to understand the functional interplay of Aurora kinases in various types of human cells, including tumor cells. The understanding of the functional diversity of Aurora kinases could help to evaluate their relevance as potential therapeutic targets in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Willems
- 1Laboratory of Nervous System Diseases and Therapy, GIGA-Neuroscience, University of Liège, Avenue Hippocrate, 15, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Matthias Dedobbeleer
- 1Laboratory of Nervous System Diseases and Therapy, GIGA-Neuroscience, University of Liège, Avenue Hippocrate, 15, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Marina Digregorio
- 1Laboratory of Nervous System Diseases and Therapy, GIGA-Neuroscience, University of Liège, Avenue Hippocrate, 15, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Lombard
- 1Laboratory of Nervous System Diseases and Therapy, GIGA-Neuroscience, University of Liège, Avenue Hippocrate, 15, 4000 Liège, Belgium.,2Department of Neurosurgery, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Paul Noel Lumapat
- 1Laboratory of Nervous System Diseases and Therapy, GIGA-Neuroscience, University of Liège, Avenue Hippocrate, 15, 4000 Liège, Belgium.,3Department of Neurology, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Bernard Rogister
- 1Laboratory of Nervous System Diseases and Therapy, GIGA-Neuroscience, University of Liège, Avenue Hippocrate, 15, 4000 Liège, Belgium.,3Department of Neurology, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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20
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Size matters! Aurora A controls Drosophila larval development. Dev Biol 2018; 440:88-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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21
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Sallee MD, Zonka JC, Skokan TD, Raftrey BC, Feldman JL. Tissue-specific degradation of essential centrosome components reveals distinct microtubule populations at microtubule organizing centers. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005189. [PMID: 30080857 PMCID: PMC6103517 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-centrosomal microtubule organizing centers (ncMTOCs) are found in most differentiated cells, but how these structures regulate microtubule organization and dynamics is largely unknown. We optimized a tissue-specific degradation system to test the role of the essential centrosomal microtubule nucleators γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) and AIR-1/Aurora A at the apical ncMTOC, where they both localize in Caenorhabditis elegans embryonic intestinal epithelial cells. As at the centrosome, the core γ-TuRC component GIP-1/GCP3 is required to recruit other γ-TuRC components to the apical ncMTOC, including MZT-1/MZT1, characterized here for the first time in animal development. In contrast, AIR-1 and MZT-1 were specifically required to recruit γ-TuRC to the centrosome, but not to centrioles or to the apical ncMTOC. Surprisingly, microtubules remain robustly organized at the apical ncMTOC upon γ-TuRC and AIR-1 co-depletion, and upon depletion of other known microtubule regulators, including TPXL-1/TPX2, ZYG-9/ch-TOG, PTRN-1/CAMSAP, and NOCA-1/Ninein. However, loss of GIP-1 removed a subset of dynamic EBP-2/EB1-marked microtubules, and the remaining dynamic microtubules grew faster. Together, these results suggest that different microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) use discrete proteins for their function, and that the apical ncMTOC is composed of distinct populations of γ-TuRC-dependent and -independent microtubules that compete for a limited pool of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D. Sallee
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer C. Zonka
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Taylor D. Skokan
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Brian C. Raftrey
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jessica L. Feldman
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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22
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Courtheoux T, Diallo A, Damodaran AP, Reboutier D, Watrin E, Prigent C. Aurora A kinase activity is required to maintain an active spindle assembly checkpoint during prometaphase. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.191353. [PMID: 29555820 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.191353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During the prometaphase stage of mitosis, the cell builds a bipolar spindle of microtubules that mechanically segregates sister chromatids between two daughter cells in anaphase. The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a quality control mechanism that monitors proper attachment of microtubules to chromosome kinetochores during prometaphase. Segregation occurs only when each chromosome is bi-oriented with each kinetochore pair attached to microtubules emanating from opposite spindle poles. Overexpression of the protein kinase Aurora A is a feature of various cancers and is thought to enable tumour cells to bypass the SAC, leading to aneuploidy. Here, we took advantage of a chemical and chemical-genetic approach to specifically inhibit Aurora A kinase activity in late prometaphase. We observed that a loss of Aurora A activity directly affects SAC function, that Aurora A is essential for maintaining the checkpoint protein Mad2 on unattached kinetochores and that inhibition of Aurora A leads to loss of the SAC, even in the presence of nocodazole or Taxol. This is a new finding that should affect the way Aurora A inhibitors are used in cancer treatments.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first authors of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Courtheoux
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), UMR 6290, Équipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer 2014-2016, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Alghassimou Diallo
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), UMR 6290, Équipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer 2014-2016, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Arun Prasath Damodaran
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), UMR 6290, Équipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer 2014-2016, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - David Reboutier
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), UMR 6290, Équipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer 2014-2016, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Erwan Watrin
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), UMR 6290, Équipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer 2014-2016, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Claude Prigent
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), UMR 6290, Équipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer 2014-2016, F-35000 Rennes, France
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23
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Mangal S, Sacher J, Kim T, Osório DS, Motegi F, Carvalho AX, Oegema K, Zanin E. TPXL-1 activates Aurora A to clear contractile ring components from the polar cortex during cytokinesis. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:837-848. [PMID: 29311228 PMCID: PMC5839786 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201706021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During cytokinesis, a signal from the central spindle that forms between the separating anaphase chromosomes promotes the accumulation of contractile ring components at the cell equator, while a signal from the centrosomal microtubule asters inhibits accumulation of contractile ring components at the cell poles. However, the molecular identity of the inhibitory signal has remained unknown. To identify molecular components of the aster-based inhibitory signal, we developed a means to monitor the removal of contractile ring proteins from the polar cortex after anaphase onset. Using this assay, we show that polar clearing is an active process that requires activation of Aurora A kinase by TPXL-1. TPXL-1 concentrates on astral microtubules coincident with polar clearing in anaphase, and its ability to recruit Aurora A and activate its kinase activity are essential for clearing. In summary, our data identify Aurora A kinase as an aster-based inhibitory signal that restricts contractile ring components to the cell equator during cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriyash Mangal
- Center for Integrated Protein Science, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jennifer Sacher
- Center for Integrated Protein Science, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Taekyung Kim
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Daniel Sampaio Osório
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fumio Motegi
- Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ana Xavier Carvalho
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Porto, Portugal
| | - Karen Oegema
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Esther Zanin
- Center for Integrated Protein Science, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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24
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Zhang Z, Lim YW, Zhao P, Kanchanawong P, Motegi F. ImaEdge: a platform for the quantitative analysis of cortical proteins spatiotemporal dynamics during cell polarization. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:4200-4212. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.206870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity involves the compartmentalization of the cell cortex. The establishment of cortical compartments arises from the spatial bias in the activity and concentration of cortical proteins. The mechanistic dissection of cell polarity requires the accurate detection of dynamic changes in cortical proteins, but the fluctuations of cell shape and the inhomogeneous distributions of cortical proteins greatly complicate the quantitative extraction of their global and local changes during cell polarization. To address these problems, we introduce an open-source software package, ImaEdge, which automates the segmentation of the cortex from time-lapse movies, and enables quantitative extraction of cortical protein intensities. We demonstrate that ImaEdge enables efficient and rigorous analysis of the dynamic evolution of cortical PAR proteins during C. elegans embryogenesis. It is also capable of accurate tracking of varying levels of transgene expression and discontinuous signals of the actomyosin cytoskeleton during multiple rounds of cell division. ImaEdge provides a unique resource for the quantitative studies of cortical polarization, with the potential for application to many types of polarized cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhang
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yen Wei Lim
- Temasek Life-sciences Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peng Zhao
- Temasek Life-sciences Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pakorn Kanchanawong
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fumio Motegi
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Temasek Life-sciences Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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25
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Abstract
The maintenance of genome stability is critical for proper cell function, and loss of this stability contributes to many human diseases and developmental disorders. Therefore, cells have evolved partially redundant mechanisms to monitor and protect the genome. One subcellular organelle implicated in the maintenance of genome stability is the centrosome, best known as the primary microtubule organizing center of most animal cells. Centrosomes serve many different roles throughout the cell cycle, and many of those roles, including mitotic spindle assembly, nucleation of the interphase microtubule array, DNA damage response, and efficient cell cycle progression, have been proposed to help maintain genome stability. As a result, the centrosome is itself a highly regulated entity. Here, we review evidence concerning the significance of the centrosome in promoting genome integrity. Recent advances permitting acute and persistent centrosome removal suggest we still have much to learn regarding the specific function and actual importance of centrosomes in different contexts, as well as how cells may compensate for centrosome dysfunction to maintain the integrity of the genome. Although many animal cells survive and proliferate in the absence of centrosomes, they do so aberrantly. Based on these and other studies, we conclude that centrosomes serve as critical, multifunctional organelles that promote genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy A Lerit
- Cell Biology and Physiology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
- National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Building 50, Room 2122, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - John S Poulton
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- University of North Carolina, Fordham 519, CB#3280, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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26
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Maternal MEMI Promotes Female Meiosis II in Response to Fertilization in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2016; 204:1461-1477. [PMID: 27729423 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.192997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In most animals, female meiosis completes only after fertilization. Sperm entry has been implicated in providing a signal for the initiation of the final meiotic processes; however, a maternal component required for this process has not been previously identified. We report the characterization of a novel family of three highly similar paralogs (memi-1, memi-2, memi-3) that encode oocyte-specific proteins. A hyper-morphic mutation memi-1(sb41) results in failure to exit female meiosis II properly; however, loss of all three paralogs results in a "skipped meiosis II" phenotype. Mutations that prevent fertilization, such as fer-1(hc1), also cause a skipped meiosis II phenotype, suggesting that the MEMI proteins represent a maternal component of a postfertilization signal that specifies the meiosis II program. MEMI proteins are degraded before mitosis and sensitive to ZYG-11, a substrate-specific adapter for cullin-based ubiquitin ligase activity, and the memi-1(sb41) mutation results in inappropriate persistence of the MEMI-1 protein into mitosis. Using an RNAi screen for suppressors of memi-1(sb41), we identified a sperm-specific PP1 phosphatase, GSP-3/4, as a putative sperm component of the MEMI pathway. We also found that MEMI and GSP-3/4 proteins can physically interact via co-immunoprecipitation. These results suggest that sperm-specific PP1 and maternal MEMI proteins act in the same pathway after fertilization to facilitate proper meiosis II and the transition into embryonic mitosis.
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Kotak S, Afshar K, Busso C, Gönczy P. Aurora A kinase regulates proper spindle positioning in C. elegans and in human cells. J Cell Sci 2016; 129:3015-25. [PMID: 27335426 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.184416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate spindle positioning is essential for error-free cell division. The one-cell Caenorhabditis elegans embryo has proven instrumental for dissecting mechanisms governing spindle positioning. Despite important progress, how the cortical forces that act on astral microtubules to properly position the spindle are modulated is incompletely understood. Here, we report that the PP6 phosphatase PPH-6 and its associated subunit SAPS-1, which positively regulate pulling forces acting on spindle poles, associate with the Aurora A kinase AIR-1 in C. elegans embryos. We show that acute inactivation of AIR-1 during mitosis results in excess pulling forces on astral microtubules. Furthermore, we uncover that AIR-1 acts downstream of PPH-6-SAPS-1 in modulating spindle positioning, and that PPH-6-SAPS-1 negatively regulates AIR-1 localization at the cell cortex. Moreover, we show that Aurora A and the PP6 phosphatase subunit PPP6C are also necessary for spindle positioning in human cells. There, Aurora A is needed for the cortical localization of NuMA and dynein during mitosis. Overall, our work demonstrates that Aurora A kinases and PP6 phosphatases have an ancient function in modulating spindle positioning, thus contributing to faithful cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin Kotak
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Katayon Afshar
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Coralie Busso
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
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Carmena M, Earnshaw WC, Glover DM. The Dawn of Aurora Kinase Research: From Fly Genetics to the Clinic. Front Cell Dev Biol 2015; 3:73. [PMID: 26636082 PMCID: PMC4646952 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2015.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aurora kinases comprise a family of highly conserved serine-threonine protein kinases that play a pivotal role in the regulation of cell cycle. Aurora kinases are not only involved in the control of multiple processes during cell division but also coordinate chromosomal and cytoskeletal events, contributing to the regulation of checkpoints and ensuring the smooth progression of the cell cycle. Because of their fundamental contribution to cell cycle regulation, Aurora kinases were originally identified in independent genetic screens designed to find genes involved in the regulation of cell division. The first aurora mutant was part of a collection of mutants isolated in C. Nusslein-Volhard's laboratory. This collection was screened in D. M. Glover's laboratory in search for mutations disrupting the centrosome cycle in embryos derived from homozygous mutant mothers. The mutants identified were given names related to the "polar regions," and included not only aurora but also the equally famous polo. Ipl1, the only Aurora in yeast, was identified in a genetic screen looking for mutations that caused chromosome segregation defects. The discovery of a second Aurora-like kinase in mammals opened a new chapter in the research of Aurora kinases. The rat kinase AIM was found to be highly homologous to the fly and yeast proteins, but localized at the midzone and midbody and was proposed to have a role in cytokinesis. Homologs of the equatorial Aurora (Aurora B) were identified in metazoans ranging from flies to humans. Xenopus Aurora B was found to be in a complex with the chromosomal passenger INCENP, and both proteins were shown to be essential in flies for chromosome structure, segregation, central spindle formation and cytokinesis. Fifteen years on, Aurora kinase research is an active field of research. After the successful introduction of the first anti-mitotic agents in cancer therapy, both Auroras have become the focus of attention as targets for the development of new anti-cancer drugs. In this review we will aim to give a historical overview of the research on Aurora kinases, highlighting the most relevant milestones in the advance of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mar Carmena
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, The University of EdinburghEdinburgh, UK
| | - William C. Earnshaw
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, The University of EdinburghEdinburgh, UK
| | - David M. Glover
- Department of Genetics, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
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Sumiyoshi E, Fukata Y, Namai S, Sugimoto A. Caenorhabditis elegans Aurora A kinase is required for the formation of spindle microtubules in female meiosis. Mol Biol Cell 2015; 26:4187-96. [PMID: 26378257 PMCID: PMC4642853 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-05-0258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Female meiotic spindles are organized in the absence of centrosomes. Caenorhabditis elegans Aurora A (AIR-1) is dispensable for the initial assembly of meiotic microtubules within the oocyte nuclei, but its kinase activity is continuously required for the stabilization of meiotic spindle microtubules after germinal vesicle breakdown. In many animals, female meiotic spindles are assembled in the absence of centrosomes, the major microtubule (MT)-organizing centers. How MTs are formed and organized into meiotic spindles is poorly understood. Here we report that, in Caenorhabditis elegans, Aurora A kinase/AIR-1 is required for the formation of spindle microtubules during female meiosis. When AIR-1 was depleted or its kinase activity was inhibited in C. elegans oocytes, although MTs were formed around chromosomes at germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), they were decreased during meiotic prometaphase and failed to form a bipolar spindle, and chromosomes were not separated into two masses. Whereas AIR-1 protein was detected on and around meiotic spindles, its kinase-active form was concentrated on chromosomes at prometaphase and on interchromosomal MTs during late anaphase and telophase. We also found that AIR-1 is involved in the assembly of short, dynamic MTs in the meiotic cytoplasm, and these short MTs were actively incorporated into meiotic spindles. Collectively our results suggest that, after GVBD, the kinase activity of AIR-1 is continuously required for the assembly and/or stabilization of female meiotic spindle MTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eisuke Sumiyoshi
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Yuma Fukata
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Satoshi Namai
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Asako Sugimoto
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
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The KLP-7 Residue S546 Is a Putative Aurora Kinase Site Required for Microtubule Regulation at the Centrosome in C. elegans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132593. [PMID: 26168236 PMCID: PMC4500558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of microtubule dynamics is essential for many cellular processes, including proper assembly and function of the mitotic spindle. The kinesin-13 microtubule-depolymerizing enzymes provide one mechanism to regulate microtubule behaviour temporally and spatially. Vertebrate MCAK locates to chromatin, kinetochores, spindle poles, microtubule tips, and the cytoplasm, implying that the regulation of kinesin-13 activity and subcellular targeting is complex. Phosphorylation of kinesin-13 by Aurora kinase inhibits microtubule depolymerization activity and some Aurora phosphorylation sites on kinesin-13 are required for subcellular localization. Herein, we determine that a C. elegans deletion mutant klp-7(tm2143) causes meiotic and mitotic defects that are consistent with an increase in the amount of microtubules in the cytoplasmic and spindle regions of meiotic embryos, and an increase in microtubules emanating from centrosomes. We show that KLP-7 is phosphorylated by Aurora A and Aurora B kinases in vitro, and that the phosphorylation by Aurora A is stimulated by TPXL-1. Using a structure-function approach, we establish that one putative Aurora kinase site, S546, within the C-terminal part of the core domain is required for the function, but not subcellular localization, of KLP-7 in vivo. Furthermore, FRAP analysis reveals microtubule-dependent differences in the turnover of KLP-7(S546A) and KLP-7(S546E) mutant proteins at the centrosome, suggesting a possible mechanism for the regulation of KLP-7 by Aurora kinase.
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Neves A, Busso C, Gönczy P. Cellular hallmarks reveal restricted aerobic metabolism at thermal limits. eLife 2015; 4:e04810. [PMID: 25929283 PMCID: PMC4415524 DOI: 10.7554/elife.04810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
All organisms live within a given thermal range, but little is known about the mechanisms setting the limits of this range. We uncovered cellular features exhibiting signature changes at thermal limits in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. These included changes in embryo size and shape, which were also observed in Caenorhabditis briggsae, indicating evolutionary conservation. We hypothesized that such changes could reflect restricted aerobic capacity at thermal limits. Accordingly, we uncovered that relative respiration in C. elegans embryos decreases at the thermal limits as compared to within the thermal range. Furthermore, by compromising components of the respiratory chain, we demonstrated that the reliance on aerobic metabolism is reduced at thermal limits. Moreover, embryos thus compromised exhibited signature changes in size and shape already within the thermal range. We conclude that restricted aerobic metabolism at the thermal limits contributes to setting the thermal range in a metazoan organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitana Neves
- Swiss Institute of Experimental Cancer Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Coralie Busso
- Swiss Institute of Experimental Cancer Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Gönczy
- Swiss Institute of Experimental Cancer Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Goldenson B, Crispino JD. The aurora kinases in cell cycle and leukemia. Oncogene 2014; 34:537-45. [PMID: 24632603 PMCID: PMC4167158 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2014.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Revised: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Aurora kinases, which include Aurora A (AURKA), Aurora B (AURKB) and Aurora C (AURKC), are serine/threonine kinases required for the control of mitosis (AURKA and AURKB) and meiosis (AURKC). Since their discovery nearly 20 years ago, Aurora kinases have been studied extensively in cell and cancer biology. Several early studies found that Aurora kinases are amplified and overexpressed at the transcript and protein level in various malignancies, including several types of leukemia. These discoveries and others provided a rationale for the development of small-molecule inhibitors of Aurora kinases as leukemia therapies. The first generation of Aurora kinase inhibitors did not fare well in clinical trials, owing to poor efficacy and high toxicity. However, the creation of second-generation, highly selective Aurora kinase inhibitors has increased the enthusiasm for targeting these proteins in leukemia. This review will describe the functions of each Aurora kinase, summarize their involvement in leukemia and discuss inhibitor development and efficacy in leukemia clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Goldenson
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - J D Crispino
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Pérez de Castro I, Aguirre-Portolés C, Fernández-Miranda G, Cañamero M, Cowley DO, Van Dyke T, Malumbres M. Requirements for Aurora-A in tissue regeneration and tumor development in adult mammals. Cancer Res 2014; 73:6804-15. [PMID: 24242071 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-13-0586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aurora-A is a kinase involved in the formation and maturation of the mitotic spindle and chromosome segregation. This kinase is frequently overexpressed in human cancer, and its activity may confer resistance to antitumoral drugs such as Taxol. Inhibition of Aurora-A results in mitotic defects, and this kinase is considered as an attractive therapeutic target for cancer. Nevertheless, the specific requirements for this kinase in adult mammalian tissues remain unclear. Conditional genetic ablation of Aurora-A in adult tissues results in polyploid cells that display a DNA-damage-like response characterized by the upregulation of p53 and the cell-cycle inhibitor p21(Cip1). This is accompanied by apoptotic, differentiation, or senescence markers in a tissue-specific manner. Therapeutic elimination of Aurora-A prevents the progression of skin and mammary gland tumors. However, this is not due to significant levels of apoptosis or senescence, but because Aurora-A-deficient tumors accumulate polyploid cells with limited proliferative potential. Thus, Aurora-A is required for tumor formation in vivo, and the differential response observed in various tissues might have relevant implications in current therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting this kinase in the treatment of human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Pérez de Castro
- Authors' Affiliations: Cell Division and Cancer Group; Histopathology Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain; and Department of Genetics and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Baldini E, D'Armiento M, Ulisse S. A new aurora in anaplastic thyroid cancer therapy. Int J Endocrinol 2014; 2014:816430. [PMID: 25097550 PMCID: PMC4106108 DOI: 10.1155/2014/816430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaplastic thyroid cancers (ATC) are among the most aggressive human neoplasms with a dire prognosis and a median survival time of few months from the diagnosis. The complete absence of effective therapies for ATC renders the identification of novel therapeutic approaches sorely needed. Chromosomal instability, a feature of all human cancers, is thought to represent a major driving force in thyroid cancer progression and a number of mitotic kinases showing a deregulated expression in malignant thyroid tissues are now held responsible for thyroid tumor aneuploidy. These include the three members of the Aurora family (Aurora-A, Aurora-B, and Aurora-C), serine/threonine kinases that regulate multiple aspects of chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. Over the last few years, several small molecule inhibitors targeting Aurora kinases were developed, which showed promising antitumor effects against a variety of human cancers, including ATC, in preclinical studies. Several of these molecules are now being evaluated in phase I/II clinical trials against advanced solid and hematological malignancies. In the present review we will describe the structure, expression, and mitotic functions of the Aurora kinases, their implications in human cancer progression, with particular regard to ATC, and the effects of their functional inhibition on malignant cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enke Baldini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimino D'Armiento
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Ulisse
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
- *Salvatore Ulisse:
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Motegi F, Seydoux G. The PAR network: redundancy and robustness in a symmetry-breaking system. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130010. [PMID: 24062581 PMCID: PMC3785961 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
To become polarized, cells must first 'break symmetry'. Symmetry breaking is the process by which an unpolarized, symmetric cell develops a singularity, often at the cell periphery, that is used to develop a polarity axis. The Caenorhabditis elegans zygote breaks symmetry under the influence of the sperm-donated centrosome, which causes the PAR polarity regulators to sort into distinct anterior and posterior cortical domains. Modelling analyses have shown that cortical flows induced by the centrosome combined with antagonism between anterior and posterior PARs (mutual exclusion) are sufficient, in principle, to break symmetry, provided that anterior and posterior PAR activities are precisely balanced. Experimental evidence indicates, however, that the system is surprisingly robust to changes in cortical flows, mutual exclusion and PAR balance. We suggest that this robustness derives from redundant symmetry-breaking inputs that engage two positive feedback loops mediated by the anterior and posterior PAR proteins. In particular, the PAR-2 feedback loop stabilizes the polarized state by creating a domain where posterior PARs are immune to exclusion by anterior PARs. The two feedback loops in the PAR network share characteristics with the two feedback loops in the Cdc42 polarization network of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumio Motegi
- Temasek Lifesciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, , 1 Research Link, Singapore 117604, Republic of Singapore
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Noatynska A, Tavernier N, Gotta M, Pintard L. Coordinating cell polarity and cell cycle progression: what can we learn from flies and worms? Open Biol 2013; 3:130083. [PMID: 23926048 PMCID: PMC3758543 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.130083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatio-temporal coordination of events during cell division is crucial for animal development. In recent years, emerging data have strengthened the notion that tight coupling of cell cycle progression and cell polarity in dividing cells is crucial for asymmetric cell division and ultimately for metazoan development. Although it is acknowledged that such coupling exists, the molecular mechanisms linking the cell cycle and cell polarity machineries are still under investigation. Key cell cycle regulators control cell polarity, and thus influence cell fate determination and/or differentiation, whereas some factors involved in cell polarity regulate cell cycle timing and proliferation potential. The scope of this review is to discuss the data linking cell polarity and cell cycle progression, and the importance of such coupling for asymmetric cell division. Because studies in model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster have started to reveal the molecular mechanisms of this coordination, we will concentrate on these two systems. We review examples of molecular mechanisms suggesting a coupling between cell polarity and cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Noatynska
- Department of Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 rue Michel Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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Kress E, Schwager F, Holtackers R, Seiler J, Prodon F, Zanin E, Eiteneuer A, Toya M, Sugimoto A, Meyer H, Meraldi P, Gotta M. The UBXN-2/p37/p47 adaptors of CDC-48/p97 regulate mitosis by limiting the centrosomal recruitment of Aurora A. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 201:559-75. [PMID: 23649807 PMCID: PMC3653362 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201209107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
UBXN-2, a substrate adaptor of the AAA ATPase CDC-48/p97, is required to coordinate centrosome maturation timing with mitosis. Coordination of cell cycle events in space and time is crucial to achieve a successful cell division. Here, we demonstrate that UBXN-2, a substrate adaptor of the AAA ATPase Cdc48/p97, is required to coordinate centrosome maturation timing with mitosis. In UBXN-2–depleted Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, centrosomes recruited more AIR-1 (Aurora A), matured precociously, and alignment of the mitotic spindle with the axis of polarity was impaired. UBXN-2 and CDC-48 coimmunoprecipitated with AIR-1 and the spindle alignment defect was partially rescued by co-depleting AIR-1, indicating that UBXN-2 controls these processes via AIR-1. Similarly, depletion in human cells of the UBXN-2 orthologues p37/p47 resulted in an accumulation of Aurora A at centrosomes and a delay in centrosome separation. The latter defect was also rescued by inhibiting Aurora A. We therefore postulate that the role of this adaptor in cell cycle regulation is conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Kress
- Department of Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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Hochegger H, Hégarat N, Pereira-Leal JB. Aurora at the pole and equator: overlapping functions of Aurora kinases in the mitotic spindle. Open Biol 2013; 3:120185. [PMID: 23516109 PMCID: PMC3718339 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.120185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The correct assembly and timely disassembly of the mitotic spindle is crucial for the propagation of the genome during cell division. Aurora kinases play a central role in orchestrating bipolar spindle establishment, chromosome alignment and segregation. In most eukaryotes, ranging from amoebas to humans, Aurora activity appears to be required both at the spindle pole and the kinetochore, and these activities are often split between two different Aurora paralogues, termed Aurora A and B. Polar and equatorial functions of Aurora kinases have generally been considered separately, with Aurora A being mostly involved in centrosome dynamics, whereas Aurora B coordinates kinetochore attachment and cytokinesis. However, double inactivation of both Aurora A and B results in a dramatic synergy that abolishes chromosome segregation. This suggests that these two activities jointly coordinate mitotic progression. Accordingly, recent evidence suggests that Aurora A and B work together in both spindle assembly in metaphase and disassembly in anaphase. Here, we provide an outlook on these shared functions of the Auroras, discuss the evolution of this family of mitotic kinases and speculate why Aurora kinase activity may be required at both ends of the spindle microtubules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helfrid Hochegger
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK.
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Deubiquitylation machinery is required for embryonic polarity in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1003092. [PMID: 23209443 PMCID: PMC3510043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans one-cell embryo polarizes in response to a cue from the paternally donated centrosome and asymmetrically segregates cell fate determinants that direct the developmental program of the worm. We have found that genes encoding putative deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) are required for polarization of one-cell embryos. Maternal loss of the proteins MATH-33 and USP-47 leads to variable inability to correctly establish and maintain asymmetry as defined by posterior and anterior polarity proteins PAR-2 and PAR-3. The first observable defect is variable positioning of the centrosome with respect to the cell cortex and the male pronucleus. The severity of the polarity defects correlates with distance of the centrosome from the cortex. Furthermore, polarity defects can be bypassed by mutations that bring the centrosome in close proximity to the cortex. In addition we find that polarity and centrosome positioning defects can be suppressed by compromising protein turnover. We propose that the DUB activity of MATH-33 and USP-47 stabilizes one or more proteins required for association of the centrosome with the cortex. Because these DUBs are homologous to two members of a group of DUBs that act in fission yeast polarity, we tested additional members of that family and found that another C. elegans DUB gene, usp-46, also contributes to polarity. Our finding that deubiquitylating enzymes required for polarity in Schizosaccharomyces pombe are also required in C. elegans raises the possibility that these DUBs act through an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to control cell polarity. In eukaryotes, modification of proteins by the covalent ligation of a protein called ubiquitin is an important regulatory mechanism. In this study we found that deubiquitylation enzymes, which are known to cleave ubiquitin off of target proteins, are required for asymmetry in one-cell embryos of the nematode C. elegans. In one-cell embryos the establishment of asymmetry depends on a signal from the centrosome, a microtubule-organizing center. This signal breaks homogeneity in the contractile cytoskeleton located at the cortex of the embryo. We have identified three deubiquitylation enzymes that are necessary for the centrosome to properly localize adjacent to the cortex to perform its symmetry-breaking role. Furthermore, a homologous group of enzymes in fission yeast also regulates cell polarity. Our results suggest that a novel mechanism of centrosome localization regulated by ubiquitylation exists in C. elegans; this mechanism is masked by genetic redundancy and may be an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for cell asymmetry.
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Abstract
Mitosis is tightly regulated and any errors in this process often lead to aneuploidy, genomic instability, and tumorigenesis. Deregulation of mitotic kinases is significantly associated with improper cell division and aneuploidy. Because of their importance during mitosis and the relevance to cancer, mitotic kinase signaling has been extensively studied over the past few decades and, as a result, several mitotic kinase inhibitors have been developed. Despite promising preclinical results, targeting mitotic kinases for cancer therapy faces numerous challenges, including safety and patient selection issues. Therefore, there is an urgent need to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying mitotic kinase signaling and its interactive network. Increasing evidence suggests that tumor suppressor p53 functions at the center of the mitotic kinase signaling network. In response to mitotic spindle damage, multiple mitotic kinases phosphorylate p53 to either activate or deactivate p53-mediated signaling. p53 can also regulate the expression and function of mitotic kinases, suggesting the existence of a network of mutual regulation, which can be positive or negative, between mitotic kinases and p53 signaling. Therefore, deciphering this regulatory network will provide knowledge to overcome current limitations of targeting mitotic kinases and further improve the results of targeted therapy.
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Cell-Cycle Control in Oocytes and During Early Embryonic Cleavage Cycles in Ascidians. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 297:235-64. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394308-8.00006-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Panbianco C, Gotta M. Coordinating cell polarity with cell division in space and time. Trends Cell Biol 2011; 21:672-80. [PMID: 21930382 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2011.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2011] [Revised: 08/10/2011] [Accepted: 08/11/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Decisions of when and where to divide are crucial for cell survival and fate, and for tissue organization and homeostasis. The temporal coordination of mitotic events during cell division is essential to ensure that each daughter cell receives one copy of the genome. The spatial coordination of these events is also crucial because the cytokinetic furrow must be aligned with the axis of chromosome segregation and, in asymmetrically dividing cells, the polarity axis. Several recent papers describe how cell shape and polarity are coordinated with cell division in single cells and tissues and begin to unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms, revealing common principles and molecular players. Here, we discuss how cells regulate the spatial and temporal coordination of cell polarity with cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Panbianco
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 rue Michel Servet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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Decker M, Jaensch S, Pozniakovsky A, Zinke A, O'Connell KF, Zachariae W, Myers E, Hyman AA. Limiting amounts of centrosome material set centrosome size in C. elegans embryos. Curr Biol 2011; 21:1259-67. [PMID: 21802300 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2011] [Revised: 05/31/2011] [Accepted: 06/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ways in which cells set the size of intracellular structures is an important but largely unsolved problem [1]. Early embryonic divisions pose special problems in this regard. Many checkpoints common in somatic cells are missing from these divisions, which are characterized by rapid reductions in cell size and short cell cycles [2]. Embryonic cells must therefore possess simple and robust mechanisms that allow the size of many of their intracellular structures to rapidly scale with cell size. RESULTS Here, we study the mechanism by which one structure, the centrosome, scales in size during the early embryonic divisions of C. elegans. We show that centrosome size is directly related to cell size and is independent of lineage. Two findings suggest that the total amount of maternally supplied centrosome proteins could limit centrosome size. First, the combined volume of all centrosomes formed at any one time in the developing embryo is constant. Second, the total volume of centrosomes in any one cell is independent of centrosome number. By increasing the amount of centrosome proteins in the cell, we provide evidence that one component that limits centrosome size is the conserved pericentriolar material protein SPD-2 [3], which we show binds to and targets polo-like kinase 1 [3, 4] to centrosomes. CONCLUSIONS We propose a limiting component hypothesis, in which the volume of the cell sets centrosome size by limiting the total amount of centrosome components. This idea could be a general mechanism for setting the size of intracellular organelles during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Decker
- Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden 01307 Germany
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Wolniak SM, van der Weele CM, Deeb F, Boothby T, Klink VP. Extremes in rapid cellular morphogenesis: post-transcriptional regulation of spermatogenesis in Marsilea vestita. PROTOPLASMA 2011; 248:457-73. [PMID: 21487804 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-011-0276-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2011] [Accepted: 03/30/2011] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The endosporic male gametophyte of the water fern, Marsilea vestita, provides a unique opportunity to study the mechanisms that control cell fate determination during a burst of rapid development. In this review, we show how the spatial and temporal control of development in this simple gametophyte involves several distinct modes of RNA processing that allow the translation of specific mRNAs at distinct stages during gametogenesis. During the early part of development, nine successive cell division cycles occur in precise planes within a closed volume to produce seven sterile cells and 32 spermatids. There is no cell movement in the gametophyte; so, cell position and size within the spore wall define cell fate. After the division cycles have been completed, the spermatids become sites for the de novo formation of basal bodies, for the assembly of a complex cytoskeleton, for nuclear and cell elongation, and for ciliogenesis. In contrast, the adjacent sterile cells exhibit none of these changes. The spermatids differentiate into multiciliated, corkscrew-shaped gametes that resemble no other cells in the entire plant. Development is controlled post-transcriptionally. The transcripts stored in the microspore are released (unmasked) in the gametophyte at different times during development. At the start of these studies, we identified several key mRNAs that undergo translation at specific stages of gametophyte development. We developed RNA silencing protocols that enabled us to block the translation of these proteins and thereby establish their necessity and sufficiency for the completion of specific stages of gametogenesis. In addition, RNAi enabled us to identify additional proteins that are essential for other phases of development. Since the distributions of mRNAs and the proteins they encode are not identical in the gametophyte, transcript processing is apparently important in allowing translation to occur under strict temporal and spatial control. Transcript polyadenylation occurs in the spermatogenous cells in ways that match the translation of specific mRNAs. We have found that the exon junction complex plays key roles in transcript regulation and modifications that underlie cell specification in the gametophyte. We have recently become interested in the mechanisms that control the unmasking of the stored transcripts and have linked the synthesis and redistribution of spermidine in the gametophyte to the control of mRNA release from storage during early development and later to basal body formation, cytoskeletal assembly, and nuclear and cell elongation in the differentiating spermatids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Wolniak
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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Toya M, Terasawa M, Nagata K, Iida Y, Sugimoto A. A kinase-independent role for Aurora A in the assembly of mitotic spindle microtubules in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Nat Cell Biol 2011; 13:708-14. [PMID: 21572421 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2010] [Accepted: 03/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The assembly of a functional mitotic spindle is crucial for achieving successful mitosis. Aurora A kinase is one of the key regulators of mitotic events, including mitotic entry, centrosome maturation and spindle bipolarity. Caenorhabditis elegans Aurora A (AIR-1) is responsible for the assembly of γ-tubulin-independent microtubules in early embryos; however, the mechanism by which AIR-1 contributes to microtubule assembly during mitosis has been unclear. Here we show by live-cell imaging and RNA-mediated interference (RNAi)-based modulation of gene activity that AIR-1 has a crucial role in the assembly of chromatin-stimulated microtubules that is independent of the γ-tubulin complex. Surprisingly, the kinase activity of AIR-1 is dispensable for this process. Although the kinase-inactive form of AIR-1 was detected along the microtubules as well as on centrosomes, the kinase-active form of AIR-1 was restricted to centrosomes. Thus, we propose that AIR-1 has a kinase-dependent role at centrosomes and a kinase-independent role for stabilizing spindle microtubules and that coordination of these two roles is crucial for the assembly of mitotic spindles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Toya
- Laboratory for Developmental Genomics, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
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Noatynska A, Panbianco C, Gotta M. SPAT-1/Bora acts with Polo-like kinase 1 to regulate PAR polarity and cell cycle progression. Development 2010; 137:3315-25. [PMID: 20823068 DOI: 10.1242/dev.055293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
During asymmetric cell division, cell polarity and cell cycle progression are tightly coordinated, yet mechanisms controlling both these events are poorly understood. Here we show that the Bora homologue SPAT-1 regulates both PAR polarity and cell cycle progression in C. elegans embryos. We find that, similarly to mammalian cells, SPAT-1 acts with PLK-1 and not with the mitotic kinase Aurora A (AIR-1), as shown in Drosophila. SPAT-1 binds to PLK-1, and depletion of SPAT-1 or PLK-1 leads to similar cell division defects in early embryos, which differ from the defects caused by depletion of AIR-1. Additionally, SPAT-1 and PLK-1 depletion causes impaired polarity with abnormal length of the anterior and posterior PAR domains, and partial plk-1(RNAi) or spat-1(RNAi), but not air-1(RNAi), can rescue the lethality of a par-2 mutant. SPAT-1 is enriched in posterior cells, and this enrichment depends on PAR polarity and PLK-1. Taken together, our data suggest a model in which SPAT-1 promotes the activity of PLK-1 to regulate both cell polarity and cell cycle timing during asymmetric cell division, providing a link between these two processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Noatynska
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 rue Michel Servet, Geneva 4, Switzerland
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Müller-Reichert T, Greenan G, O’Toole E, Srayko M. The elegans of spindle assembly. Cell Mol Life Sci 2010; 67:2195-213. [PMID: 20339898 PMCID: PMC2883083 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-010-0324-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2010] [Accepted: 02/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans one-cell embryo is a powerful system in which to study microtubule organization because this large cell assembles both meiotic and mitotic spindles within the same cytoplasm over the course of 1 h in a stereotypical manner. The fertilized oocyte assembles two consecutive acentrosomal meiotic spindles that function to reduce the replicated maternal diploid set of chromosomes to a single-copy haploid set. The resulting maternal DNA then unites with the paternal DNA to form a zygotic diploid complement, around which a centrosome-based mitotic spindle forms. The early C. elegans embryo is amenable to live-cell imaging and electron tomography, permitting a detailed structural comparison of the meiotic and mitotic modes of spindle assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Garrett Greenan
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPICBG), Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Eileen O’Toole
- Boulder Laboratory for 3D Electron Microscopy of Cells, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
| | - Martin Srayko
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
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Pérez-Cadahía B, Drobic B, Davie JR. H3 phosphorylation: dual role in mitosis and interphase. Biochem Cell Biol 2010; 87:695-709. [PMID: 19898522 DOI: 10.1139/o09-053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin condensation and subsequent decondensation are processes required for proper execution of various cellular events. During mitosis, chromatin compaction is at its highest, whereas relaxation of chromatin is necessary for DNA replication, repair, recombination, and gene transcription. Since histone proteins are directly complexed with DNA in the form of a nucleosome, great emphasis is put on deciphering histone post-translational modifications that control the chromatin condensation state. Histone H3 phosphorylation is a mark present in mitosis, where chromatin condensation is necessary, and in transcriptional activation of genes, when chromatin needs to be decondensed. There are four characterized phospho residues within the H3 N-terminal tail during mitosis: Thr3, Ser10, Thr11, and Ser28. Interestingly, H3 phosphorylated at Ser10, Thr11, and Ser28 has been observed on genomic regions of transcriptionally active genes. Therefore, H3 phosphorylation is involved in processes requiring opposing chromatin states. The level of H3 phosphorylation is mediated by opposing actions of specific kinases and phosphatases during mitosis and gene transcription. The cellular contexts under which specific residues on H3 are phosphorylated in mitosis and interphase are known to some extent. However, the functional consequences of H3 phosphorylation are still unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Pérez-Cadahía
- Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E0V9, Canada
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Kumfer KT, Cook SJ, Squirrell JM, Eliceiri KW, Peel N, O'Connell KF, White JG. CGEF-1 and CHIN-1 regulate CDC-42 activity during asymmetric division in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. Mol Biol Cell 2009; 21:266-77. [PMID: 19923324 PMCID: PMC2808230 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e09-01-0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A fluorescent biosensor reports the localization of CDC-42 activity in the C. elegans embryo and was used to identify regulators of CDC-42 activity, one of which is involved in a novel regulatory loop that maintains cortical PAR polarity. CDC-42 activity regulates myosin II recruitment during the maintenance phase via the kinase MRCK-1. The anterior–posterior axis of the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo is elaborated at the one-cell stage by the polarization of the partitioning (PAR) proteins at the cell cortex. Polarization is established under the control of the Rho GTPase RHO-1 and is maintained by the Rho GTPase CDC-42. To understand more clearly the role of the Rho family GTPases in polarization and division of the early embryo, we constructed a fluorescent biosensor to determine the localization of CDC-42 activity in the living embryo. A genetic screen using this biosensor identified one positive (putative guanine nucleotide exchange factor [GEF]) and one negative (putative GTPase activating protein [GAP]) regulator of CDC-42 activity: CGEF-1 and CHIN-1. CGEF-1 was required for robust activation, whereas CHIN-1 restricted the spatial extent of CDC-42 activity. Genetic studies placed CHIN-1 in a novel regulatory loop, parallel to loop described previously, that maintains cortical PAR polarity. We found that polarized distributions of the nonmuscle myosin NMY-2 at the cell cortex are independently produced by the actions of RHO-1, and its effector kinase LET-502, during establishment phase and CDC-42, and its effector kinase MRCK-1, during maintenance phase. CHIN-1 restricted NMY-2 recruitment to the anterior during maintenance phase, consistent with its role in polarizing CDC-42 activity during this phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kraig T Kumfer
- Laboratorie of Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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Salmela AL, Pouwels J, Varis A, Kukkonen AM, Toivonen P, Halonen PK, Perälä M, Kallioniemi O, Gorbsky GJ, Kallio MJ. Dietary flavonoid fisetin induces a forced exit from mitosis by targeting the mitotic spindle checkpoint. Carcinogenesis 2009; 30:1032-40. [PMID: 19395653 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgp101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Fisetin is a natural flavonol present in edible vegetables, fruits and wine at 2-160 microg/g concentrations and an ingredient in nutritional supplements with much higher concentrations. The compound has been reported to exert anticarcinogenic effects as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity via its ability to act as an inhibitor of cell proliferation and free radical scavenger, respectively. Our cell-based high-throughput screen for small molecules that override chemically induced mitotic arrest identified fisetin as an antimitotic compound. Fisetin rapidly compromised microtubule drug-induced mitotic block in a proteasome-dependent manner in several human cell lines. Moreover, in unperturbed human cancer cells fisetin caused premature initiation of chromosome segregation and exit from mitosis without normal cytokinesis. To understand the molecular mechanism behind these mitotic errors, we analyzed the consequences of fisetin treatment on the localization and phoshorylation of several mitotic proteins. Aurora B, Bub1, BubR1 and Cenp-F rapidly lost their kinetochore/centromere localization and others became dephosphorylated upon addition of fisetin to the culture medium. Finally, we identified Aurora B kinase as a novel direct target of fisetin. The activity of Aurora B was significantly reduced by fisetin in vitro and in cells, an effect that can explain the observed forced mitotic exit, failure of cytokinesis and decreased cell viability. In conclusion, our data propose that fisetin perturbs spindle checkpoint signaling, which may contribute to the antiproliferative effects of the compound.
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