scholarly journals Molecular requirements for the formation of a kinetochore–microtubule interface by Dam1 and Ndc80 complexes

2012 ◽  
Vol 200 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabienne Lampert ◽  
Christine Mieck ◽  
Gregory M. Alushin ◽  
Eva Nogales ◽  
Stefan Westermann

Kinetochores are large protein complexes that link sister chromatids to the spindle and transduce microtubule dynamics into chromosome movement. In budding yeast, the kinetochore–microtubule interface is formed by the plus end–associated Dam1 complex and the kinetochore-resident Ndc80 complex, but how they work in combination and whether a physical association between them is critical for chromosome segregation is poorly understood. Here, we define structural elements required for the Ndc80–Dam1 interaction and probe their function in vivo. A novel ndc80 allele, selectively impaired in Dam1 binding, displayed growth and chromosome segregation defects. Its combination with an N-terminal truncation resulted in lethality, demonstrating essential but partially redundant roles for the Ndc80 N-tail and Ndc80–Dam1 interface. In contrast, mutations in the calponin homology domain of Ndc80 abrogated kinetochore function and were not compensated by the presence of Dam1. Our experiments shed light on how microtubule couplers cooperate and impose important constraints on structural models for outer kinetochore assembly.

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-261
Author(s):  
Jessica E. Fellmeth ◽  
Kim S. McKim

Abstract While many of the proteins involved in the mitotic centromere and kinetochore are conserved in meiosis, they often gain a novel function due to the unique needs of homolog segregation during meiosis I (MI). CENP-C is a critical component of the centromere for kinetochore assembly in mitosis. Recent work, however, has highlighted the unique features of meiotic CENP-C. Centromere establishment and stability require CENP-C loading at the centromere for CENP-A function. Pre-meiotic loading of proteins necessary for homolog recombination as well as cohesion also rely on CENP-C, as do the main scaffolding components of the kinetochore. Much of this work relies on new technologies that enable in vivo analysis of meiosis like never before. Here, we strive to highlight the unique role of this highly conserved centromere protein that loads on to centromeres prior to M-phase onset, but continues to perform critical functions through chromosome segregation. CENP-C is not merely a structural link between the centromere and the kinetochore, but also a functional one joining the processes of early prophase homolog synapsis to late metaphase kinetochore assembly and signaling.


2013 ◽  
Vol 200 (6) ◽  
pp. 757-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D. Stephens ◽  
Rachel A. Haggerty ◽  
Paula A. Vasquez ◽  
Leandra Vicci ◽  
Chloe E. Snider ◽  
...  

The mechanisms by which sister chromatids maintain biorientation on the metaphase spindle are critical to the fidelity of chromosome segregation. Active force interplay exists between predominantly extensional microtubule-based spindle forces and restoring forces from chromatin. These forces regulate tension at the kinetochore that silences the spindle assembly checkpoint to ensure faithful chromosome segregation. Depletion of pericentric cohesin or condensin has been shown to increase the mean and variance of spindle length, which have been attributed to a softening of the linear chromatin spring. Models of the spindle apparatus with linear chromatin springs that match spindle dynamics fail to predict the behavior of pericentromeric chromatin in wild-type and mutant spindles. We demonstrate that a nonlinear spring with a threshold extension to switch between spring states predicts asymmetric chromatin stretching observed in vivo. The addition of cross-links between adjacent springs recapitulates coordination between pericentromeres of neighboring chromosomes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. e201800143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masashi Minamino ◽  
Torahiko L Higashi ◽  
Céline Bouchoux ◽  
Frank Uhlmann

The ring-shaped chromosomal cohesin complex holds sister chromatids together by topological embrace, a prerequisite for accurate chromosome segregation. Cohesin plays additional roles in genome organization, transcriptional regulation, and DNA repair. The cohesin ring includes an ABC family ATPase, but the molecular mechanism by which the ATPase contributes to cohesin function is not yet understood. In this study, we have purified budding yeast cohesin, as well as its Scc2–Scc4 cohesin loader complex, and biochemically reconstituted ATP-dependent topological cohesin loading onto DNA. Our results reproduce previous observations obtained using fission yeast cohesin, thereby establishing conserved aspects of cohesin behavior. Unexpectedly, we find that nonhydrolyzable ATP ground state mimetics ADP·BeF2, ADP·BeF3−, and ADP·AlFx, but not a hydrolysis transition state analog ADP·VO43−, support cohesin loading. The energy from nucleotide binding is sufficient to drive the DNA entry reaction into the cohesin ring. ATP hydrolysis, believed to be essential for in vivo cohesin loading, must serve a subsequent reaction step. These results provide molecular insights into cohesin function and open new experimental opportunities that the budding yeast model affords.


eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae ook Kim ◽  
Alex Zelter ◽  
Neil T Umbreit ◽  
Athena Bollozos ◽  
Michael Riffle ◽  
...  

Strong kinetochore-microtubule attachments are essential for faithful segregation of sister chromatids during mitosis. The Dam1 and Ndc80 complexes are the main microtubule binding components of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinetochore. Cooperation between these two complexes enhances kinetochore-microtubule coupling and is regulated by Aurora B kinase. We show that the Ndc80 complex can simultaneously bind and bridge across two Dam1 complex rings through a tripartite interaction, each component of which is regulated by Aurora B kinase. Mutations in any one of the Ndc80p interaction regions abrogates the Ndc80 complex’s ability to bind two Dam1 rings in vitro, and results in kinetochore biorientation and microtubule attachment defects in vivo. We also show that an extra-long Ndc80 complex, engineered to space the two Dam1 rings further apart, does not support growth. Taken together, our work suggests that each kinetochore in vivo contains two Dam1 rings and that proper spacing between the rings is vital.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Cortes-Silva ◽  
J Ulmer ◽  
T Kiuchi ◽  
E Hsieh ◽  
G Cornilleau ◽  
...  

AbstractAccurate chromosome segregation requires assembly of the multiprotein kinetochore complex at centromeres. In most eukaryotes, kinetochore assembly is primed by the histone H3 variant CenH3, which physically interacts with components of the inner kinetochore constitutive-centromere-associated-network (CCAN). Unexpected to its critical function, previous work identified that select eukaryotic lineages, including several insects, have lost CenH3, while having retained homologs of the CCAN. These findings imply alternative CCAN assembly pathways in these organisms that function in CenH3-independent manners. Here, we study the composition and assembly of CenH3-deficient kinetochores of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). We show that lepidopteran kinetochores consist of previously identified CCAN homologs as well as additional components including a divergent CENP-T homolog, which are required for accurate mitotic progression. Our study focuses on CENP-T that we find both necessary and sufficient to recruit the Mis12 outer kinetochore complex. In addition, CRISPR-mediated gene editing in Bombyx mori establishes an essential function of CENP-T in vivo. Finally, the retention of CENP-T homologs in other independently-derived CenH3-deficient insects indicates a conserved mechanism of kinetochore assembly between these lineages. Our study provides the first functional insights into CCAN-based kinetochore assembly pathways that function independently of CenH3, thus contributing to the emerging picture of an unexpected plasticity to build a kinetochore.


2001 ◽  
Vol 155 (5) ◽  
pp. 763-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung-seog Kang ◽  
Iain M. Cheeseman ◽  
George Kallstrom ◽  
Soundarapandian Velmurugan ◽  
Georjana Barnes ◽  
...  

We have shown previously that Ipl1 and Sli15 are required for chromosome segregation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sli15 associates directly with the Ipl1 protein kinase and these two proteins colocalize to the mitotic spindle. We show here that Sli15 stimulates the in vitro, and likely in vivo, kinase activity of Ipl1, and Sli15 facilitates the association of Ipl1 with the mitotic spindle. The Ipl1-binding and -stimulating activities of Sli15 both reside within a region containing homology to the metazoan inner centromere protein (INCENP). Ipl1 and Sli15 also bind to Dam1, a microtubule-binding protein required for mitotic spindle integrity and kinetochore function. Sli15 and Dam1 are most likely physiological targets of Ipl1 since Ipl1 can phosphorylate both proteins efficiently in vitro, and the in vivo phosphorylation of both proteins is reduced in ipl1 mutants. Some dam1 mutations exacerbate the phenotype of ipl1 and sli15 mutants, thus providing evidence that Dam1 interactions with Ipl1–Sli15 are functionally important in vivo. Similar to Dam1, Ipl1 and Sli15 each bind to microtubules directly in vitro, and they are associated with yeast centromeric DNA in vivo. Given their dual association with microtubules and kinetochores, Ipl1, Sli15, and Dam1 may play crucial roles in regulating chromosome–spindle interactions or in the movement of kinetochores along microtubules.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (20) ◽  
pp. 4940-4951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gause ◽  
Ziva Misulovin ◽  
Amy Bilyeu ◽  
Dale Dorsett

ABSTRACT The cohesin protein complex holds sister chromatids together to ensure proper chromosome segregation upon cell division and also regulates gene transcription. Partial loss of the Nipped-B protein that loads cohesin onto chromosomes, or the Pds5 protein required for sister chromatid cohesion, alters gene expression and organism development, without affecting chromosome segregation. Knowing if a reduced Nipped-B or Pds5 dosage changes how much cohesin binds chromosomes, or the stability with which it binds, is critical information for understanding how cohesin regulates transcription. We addressed this question by in vivo fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) with Drosophila salivary glands. Cohesin, Nipped-B, and Pds5 all bind chromosomes in both weak and stable modes, with residence half-lives of some 20 seconds and 6 min, respectively. Reducing the Nipped-B dosage decreases the amount of stable cohesin without affecting its chromosomal residence time, and reducing the Pds5 dosage increases the amount of stable cohesin. This argues that Nipped-B and Pds5 regulate transcription by controlling how much cohesin binds DNA in the stable mode, and not binding affinity. We also found that Nipped-B, Pds5, and the Wapl protein that interacts with Pds5 all play unique roles in cohesin chromosome binding.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Guacci ◽  
Jeremiah Stricklin ◽  
Michelle S. Bloom ◽  
Xuánzōng Guō ◽  
Meghna Bhatter ◽  
...  

Cohesin complex mediates cohesion between sister chromatids, which promotes high-fidelity chromosome segregation. Eco1p acetylates the cohesin subunit Smc3p during S phase to establish cohesion. The current model posits that this Eco1p-mediated acetylation promotes establishment by abrogating the ability of Wpl1p to destabilize cohesin binding to chromosomes. Here we present data from budding yeast that is incompatible with this Wpl1p-centric model. Two independent in vivo assays show that a wpl1∆ fails to suppress cohesion defects of eco1∆ cells. Moreover, a wpl1∆ also fails to suppress cohesion defects engendered by blocking just the essential Eco1p acetylation sites on Smc3p (K112, K113). Thus removing WPL1 inhibition is insufficient for generating cohesion without ECO1 activity. To elucidate how ECO1 promotes cohesion, we conducted a genetic screen and identified a cohesion activator mutation in the SMC3 head domain (D1189H). Smc3-D1189H partially restores cohesion in eco1∆ wpl1∆ or eco1 mutant cells but robustly restores cohesion in cells blocked for Smc3p K112 K113 acetylation. These data support two important conclusions. First, acetylation of the K112 K113 region by Eco1p promotes cohesion establishment by altering Smc3p head function independent of its ability to antagonize Wpl1p. Second, Eco1p targets other than Smc3p K112 K113 are necessary for efficient establishment.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Declan A. Gray ◽  
Joshua B. R. White ◽  
Abraham O. Oluwole ◽  
Parthasarathi Rath ◽  
Amy J. Glenwright ◽  
...  

AbstractIn Bacteroidetes, one of the dominant phyla of the mammalian gut, active uptake of large nutrients across the outer membrane is mediated by SusCD protein complexes via a “pedal bin” transport mechanism. However, many features of SusCD function in glycan uptake remain unclear, including ligand binding, the role of the SusD lid and the size limit for substrate transport. Here we characterise the β2,6 fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) importing SusCD from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt1762-Bt1763) to shed light on SusCD function. Co-crystal structures reveal residues involved in glycan recognition and suggest that the large binding cavity can accommodate several substrate molecules, each up to ∼2.5 kDa in size, a finding supported by native mass spectrometry and isothermal titration calorimetry. Mutational studies in vivo provide functional insights into the key structural features of the SusCD apparatus and cryo-EM of the intact dimeric SusCD complex reveals several distinct states of the transporter, directly visualising the dynamics of the pedal bin transport mechanism.


Author(s):  
Hyuk-Joon Jeon ◽  
Jeong Su Oh

In eukaryotic chromosomes, the centromere and telomere are two specialized structures that are essential for chromosome stability and segregation. Although centromeres and telomeres often are located in close proximity to form telocentric chromosomes in mice, it remained unclear whether these two structures influence each other. Here we show that TRF1 is required for inner centromere and kinetochore assembly in addition to its role in telomere protection in mouse oocytes. TRF1 depletion caused premature chromosome segregation by abrogating the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) and impairing kinetochore-microtubule (kMT) attachment, which increased the incidence of aneuploidy. Notably, TRF1 depletion disturbed the localization of Survivin and Ndc80/Hec1 at inner centromeres and kinetochores, respectively. Moreover, SMC3 and SMC4 levels significantly decreased after TRF1 depletion, suggesting that TRF1 is involved in chromosome cohesion and condensation. Importantly, inhibition of inner centromere or kinetochore function led to a significant decrease in TRF1 level and telomere shortening. Therefore, our results suggest that telomere integrity is required to preserve inner centromere and kinetochore architectures, and vice versa, suggesting mutual regulation between telomeres and centromeres.


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