Coordination of chromatid separation and spindle elongation by antagonistic activities of mitotic and S-phase CDKs

DNA damage checkpoint execution and the rules of its disengagement

Chromosomes are susceptible to damage during their duplication and segregation or when exposed to genotoxic stresses. Left uncorrected, these lesions can result in genomic instability, leading to cells' diminished fitness, unbridled proliferation or death. To prevent such fates, checkpoint controls transiently halt cell cycle progression to allow time for the implementation of corrective measures. Prominent among these is the DNA damage checkpoint which operates at G2/M transition to ensure that cells with damaged chromosomes do not enter the mitotic phase. The execution and maintenance of cell cycle arrest are essential aspects of G2/M checkpoint and have been studied in detail. Equally critical is cells' ability to switch-off the checkpoint controls after a successful completion of corrective actions and to recommence cell cycle progression. Interestingly, when corrective measures fail, cells can mount an unusual cellular response, termed adaptation, where they escape checkpoint arrest and resume cell cycle progression with damaged chromosomes at the cost of genome instability or even death. Here, we discuss the DNA damage checkpoint, the mitotic networks it inhibits to prevent segregation of damaged chromosomes and the strategies cells employ to quench the checkpoint controls to override the G2/M arrest.

A yeast cell cycle model integrating stress, signaling, and physiology

The cell division cycle in eukaryotic cells is a series of highly coordinated molecular interactions that ensure that cell growth, duplication of genetic material, and actual cell division are precisely orchestrated to give rise to two viable progeny cells. Moreover, the cell cycle machinery is responsible for incorporating information about external cues or internal processes that the cell must keep track of to ensure a coordinated, timely progression of all related processes. This is most pronounced in multicellular organisms, but also a cardinal feature in model organisms such as baker's yeast. The complex and integrative behavior is difficult to grasp and requires mathematical modeling to fully understand the quantitative interplay of the single components within the entire system. Here, we present a self-oscillating mathematical model of the yeast cell cycle that comprises all major cyclins and their main regulators. Furthermore, it accounts for the regulation of the cell cycle machinery by a series of external stimuli such as mating pheromones and changes in osmotic pressure or nutrient quality. We demonstrate how the external perturbations modify the dynamics of cell cycle components and how the cell cycle resumes after adaptation to or relief from stress.

A new linear cyclin docking motif that mediates exclusively S-phase CDK-specific signaling

Cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs), the master regulators of cell division, are activated by different cyclins at different cell cycle stages. In addition to being activators of CDKs, cyclins recognize various linear motifs to target CDK activity to specific proteins. We uncovered a cyclin docking motif, NLxxxL, that contributes to phosphorylation‐dependent degradation of the CDK inhibitor Far1 at the G1/S stage in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This motif is recognized exclusively by S‐phase CDK (S‐CDK) Clb5/6‐Cdc28 and is considerably more potent than the conventional RxL docking motif. The NLxxxL and RxL motifs were found to overlap in some target proteins, suggesting that cyclin docking motifs can evolve to switch from one to another for fine‐tuning of cell cycle events. Using time‐lapse fluorescence microscopy, we show how different docking connections temporally control phosphorylation‐driven target degradation. This also revealed a differential function of the phosphoadaptor protein Cks1, as Cks1 docking potentiated degron phosphorylation of RxL‐containing but not of NLxxxL‐containing substrates. The NLxxxL motif was found to govern S‐cyclin‐specificity in multiple yeast CDK targets including Fin1, Lif1, and Slx4, suggesting its wider importance.

Orderly assembly underpinning built-in asymmetry in the yeast centrosome duplication cycle requires cyclin-dependent kinase

Asymmetric astral microtubule organization drives the polarized orientation of the S. cerevisiae mitotic spindle and primes the invariant inheritance of the old spindle pole body (SPB, the yeast centrosome) by the bud. This model has anticipated analogous centrosome asymmetries featured in self-renewing stem cell divisions. We previously implicated Spc72, the cytoplasmic receptor for the gamma-tubulin nucleation complex, as the most upstream determinant linking SPB age, functional asymmetry and fate. Here we used structured illumination microscopy and biochemical analysis to explore the asymmetric landscape of nucleation sites inherently built into the spindle pathway and under the control of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK). We show that CDK enforces Spc72 asymmetric docking by phosphorylating Nud1/centriolin. Furthermore, CDK-imposed order in the construction of the new SPB promotes the correct balance of nucleation sites between the nuclear and cytoplasmic faces of the SPB. Together these contributions by CDK inherently link correct SPB morphogenesis, age and fate.

Characterization of a novel separase-interacting protein and candidate new securin, Eip1p, in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans

Proper chromosome segregation is crucial for maintaining genomic stability and dependent on separase, a conserved and essential cohesin protease. Securins are key regulators of separases, but remain elusive in many organisms due to sequence divergence. Here, we demonstrate that the separase homologue Esp1p in the ascomycete Candida albicans, an important pathogen of humans, is essential for chromosome segregation. However, C. albicans lacks a sequence homologue of securins found in model ascomycetes. We sought a functional homologue through identifying Esp1p interacting factors. Affinity purification of Esp1p and mass spectrometry revealed Esp1p-Interacting Protein1 (Eip1p)/Orf19.955p, an uncharacterized protein specific to Candida species. Functional analyses demonstrated that Eip1p is important for chromosome segregation but not essential, and modulated in an APCCdc20-dependent manner, similar to securins. Eip1p is strongly enriched in response to methyl methanesulfate (MMS) or hydroxyurea (HU) treatment, and its depletion partially suppresses an MMS or HU-induced metaphase block. Further, Eip1p depletion reduces Mcd1p/Scc1p, a cohesin subunit and separase target. Thus, Eip1p may function as a securin. However, other defects in Eip1p-depleted cells suggest additional roles. Overall, the results introduce a candidate new securin, provide an approach for identifying these divergent proteins, reveal a putative anti-fungal therapeutic target, and highlight variations in mitotic regulation in eukaryotes.

Microtubule nucleation by γ-tubulin complexes and beyond

In this short review, we give an overview of microtubule nucleation within cells. It is nearly 30 years since the discovery of γ-tubulin, a member of the tubulin superfamily essential for proper microtubule nucleation in all eukaryotes. γ-tubulin associates with other proteins to form multiprotein γ-tubulin ring complexes (γ-TuRCs) that template and catalyse the otherwise kinetically unfavourable assembly of microtubule filaments. These filaments can be dynamic or stable and they perform diverse functions, such as chromosome separation during mitosis and intracellular transport in neurons. The field has come a long way in understanding γ-TuRC biology but several important and unanswered questions remain, and we are still far from understanding the regulation of microtubule nucleation in a multicellular context. Here, we review the current literature on γ-TuRC assembly, recruitment, and activation and discuss the potential importance of γ-TuRC heterogeneity, the role of non-γ-TuRC proteins in microtubule nucleation, and whether γ-TuRCs could serve as good drug targets for cancer therapy.

Fin1-PP1 Helps Clear Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Protein Bub1 from Kinetochores in Anaphase

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) monitors chromosome attachment defects, and the assembly of SAC proteins at kinetochores is essential for its activation, but the SAC disassembly process remains unknown. We found that deletion of a 14-3-3 protein, Bmh1, or hyperactivation of Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) allows premature SAC silencing in budding yeast, which depends on a kinetochore protein Fin1 that forms a complex with protein phosphatase PP1. Previous works suggest that FEAR-dependent Fin1 dephosphorylation promotes Bmh1-Fin1 dissociation, which enables kinetochore recruitment of Fin1-PP1. We found persistent kinetochore association of SAC protein Bub1 in fin1Δ mutants after anaphase entry. Therefore, we revealed a mechanism that clears SAC proteins from kinetochores. After anaphase entry, FEAR activation promotes kinetochore enrichment of Fin1-PP1, resulting in SAC disassembly at kinetochores. This mechanism is required for efficient SAC silencing after SAC is challenged, and untimely Fin1-kinetochore association causes premature SAC silencing and chromosome missegregation.

FEAR-mediated activation of Cdc14 is the limiting step for spindle elongation and anaphase progression

Cleavage of cohesins and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibition are thought to be sufficient for triggering chromosome segregation. Here we identify an essential requirement for anaphase chromosome movement. We show that, at anaphase onset, the phosphatase Cdc14 and the polo-like kinase Cdc5 are redundantly required to drive spindle elongation. This role of Cdc14 is mediated by the FEAR network, a group of proteins that activates Cdc14 at anaphase onset, and we suggest that Cdc5 facilitates both Cdc14 activation and CDK inhibition. We further identify the kinesin-5 motor protein Cin8 as a key target of Cdc14. Indeed, Cin8 mutants lacking critical CDK phosphorylation sites suppress the requirement for Cdc14 and Cdc5 in anaphase spindle elongation. Our results indicate that cohesin dissolution and CDK inhibition per se are not sufficient to drive sister chromatid segregation but that the motor protein Cin8 must be activated to elongate the spindle.

Licensing of yeast centrosome duplication requires phosphoregulation of sfi1

Duplication of centrosomes once per cell cycle is essential for bipolar spindle formation and genome maintenance and is controlled in part by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks). Our study identifies Sfi1, a conserved component of centrosomes, as the first Cdk substrate required to restrict centrosome duplication to once per cell cycle. We found that reducing Cdk1 phosphorylation by changing Sfi1 phosphorylation sites to nonphosphorylatable residues leads to defects in separation of duplicated spindle pole bodies (SPBs, yeast centrosomes) and to inappropriate SPB reduplication during mitosis. These cells also display defects in bipolar spindle assembly, chromosome segregation, and growth. Our findings lead to a model whereby phosphoregulation of Sfi1 by Cdk1 has the dual function of promoting SPB separation for spindle formation and preventing premature SPB duplication. In addition, we provide evidence that the protein phosphatase Cdc14 has the converse role of activating licensing, likely via dephosphorylation of Sfi1.

Cell-cycle dependent phosphorylation of yeast pericentrin regulates γ-TuSC-mediated microtubule nucleation

Budding yeast Spc110, a member of γ-tubulin complex receptor family (γ-TuCR), recruits γ-tubulin complexes to microtubule (MT) organizing centers (MTOCs). Biochemical studies suggest that Spc110 facilitates higher-order γ-tubulin complex assembly (Kollman et al., 2010). Nevertheless the molecular basis for this activity and the regulation are unclear. Here we show that Spc110 phosphorylated by Mps1 and Cdk1 activates γ-TuSC oligomerization and MT nucleation in a cell cycle dependent manner. Interaction between the N-terminus of the γ-TuSC subunit Spc98 and Spc110 is important for this activity. Besides the conserved CM1 motif in γ-TuCRs (Sawin et al., 2004), a second motif that we named Spc110/Pcp1 motif (SPM) is also important for MT nucleation. The activating Mps1 and Cdk1 sites lie between SPM and CM1 motifs. Most organisms have both SPM-CM1 (Spc110/Pcp1/PCNT) and CM1-only (Spc72/Mto1/Cnn/CDK5RAP2/myomegalin) types of γ-TuCRs. The two types of γ-TuCRs contain distinct but conserved C-terminal MTOC targeting domains.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02208.001

Microtubules are hollow structures made of proteins that have a central role in cell division and a variety of other important processes within cells. For a cell to divide successfully, the chromosomes containing the genetic information of the cell must be duplicated and then separated so that one copy of each chromosome ends up in each daughter cell. To separate the chromosomes, microtubules extend out from two structures called spindle pole bodies, which are found at either end of the cell, and pull one copy of each chromosome to opposite sides of the cell.

Although the individual proteins that make up a microtubule can self-assemble into tubes, this occurs very slowly, so cells employ other molecules to speed up this process. In yeast cells, a protein called gamma-tubulin is recruited to the spindle pole body by the protein Spc110, where it combines with two other proteins to form a complex called the gamma-tubulin small complex. Several of these complexes then join together to form a ring, which probably acts as the platform that microtubules grow from. Recent observations suggested that Spc110 may help to construct this ring, but without revealing how.

Now, Lin et al. reveal that Spc110 can regulate microtubule formation by controlling how several gamma-tubulin small complexes bind together, and have identified the exact section of Spc110 that interacts with the complexes. However, the Spc110 must become active before it can perform this role, and it is only activated during certain stages of cell division, through phosphorylation. The structures in Spc110 that bind to the gamma-tubulin small complex in yeast are also found in gamma-tubulin binding receptor proteins in human cells. The work of Lin et al. demonstrates that proteins that are assumed to have passive roles within cells, such as Spc110, often play more active roles instead.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02208.002