scholarly journals Phylogenomics-guided discovery of a novel conserved cassette of short linear motifs in BubR1 essential for the spindle checkpoint

Open Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 160315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eelco Tromer ◽  
Debora Bade ◽  
Berend Snel ◽  
Geert J. P. L. Kops
Keyword(s):  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Mitotic Cell ◽  
Ancestral Sequence ◽  
Gene Duplications ◽  
Functional Protein ◽  
Guided Discovery ◽  
Sequence Features ◽  
Spindle Microtubules ◽  
Linear Motifs

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) maintains genomic integrity by preventing progression of mitotic cell division until all chromosomes are stably attached to spindle microtubules. The SAC critically relies on the paralogues Bub1 and BubR1/Mad3, which integrate kinetochore–spindle attachment status with generation of the anaphase inhibitory complex MCC. We previously reported on the widespread occurrences of independent gene duplications of an ancestral ‘MadBub’ gene in eukaryotic evolution and the striking parallel subfunctionalization that lead to loss of kinase function in BubR1/Mad3-like paralogues. Here, we present an elaborate subfunctionalization analysis of the Bub1/BubR1 gene family and perform de novo sequence discovery in a comparative phylogenomics framework to trace the distribution of ancestral sequence features to extant paralogues throughout the eukaryotic tree of life. We show that known ancestral sequence features are consistently retained in the same functional paralogue: GLEBS/CMI/CDII/kinase in the Bub1-like and KEN1/KEN2/D-Box in the BubR1/Mad3-like. The recently described ABBA motif can be found in either or both paralogues. We however discovered two additional ABBA motifs that flank KEN2. This cassette of ABBA1-KEN2-ABBA2 forms a strictly conserved module in all ancestral and BubR1/Mad3-like proteins, suggestive of a specific and crucial SAC function. Indeed, deletion of the ABBA motifs in human BUBR1 abrogates the SAC and affects APC/C–Cdc20 interactions. Our detailed comparative genomics analyses thus enabled discovery of a conserved cassette of motifs essential for the SAC and shows how this approach can be used to uncover hitherto unrecognized functional protein features.

scholarly journals Phylogenomics-guided discovery of a novel conserved cassette of short linear motifs in BubR1 essential for the spindle checkpoint

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eelco Tromer ◽  
Debora Bade ◽  
Berend Snel ◽  
Geert J.P.L. Kops
Keyword(s):  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Mitotic Cell ◽  
Gene Duplications ◽  
Eukaryotic Evolution ◽  
Functional Protein ◽  
Guided Discovery ◽  
Short Linear Motifs ◽  
Independent Gene ◽  
Spindle Microtubules ◽  
Linear Motifs

AbstractThe spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) maintains genomic integrity by preventing progression of mitotic cell division until all chromosomes are stably attached to spindle microtubules. The SAC critically relies on the paralogs Bub1 and BubR1/Mad3, which integrate kinetochore-spindle attachment status with generation of the anaphase inhibitory complex MCC. We previously reported on the widespread occurrences of independent gene duplications of an ancestral ‘MadBub’ gene in eukaryotic evolution and the striking parallel subfunctionalization that lead to loss of kinase function in BubR1/Mad3-like paralogs. We now present an elaborate subfunctionalization analysis that includes all known motifs in Bub1 and BubR1, and show that ancestral features are consistently retained in the same functional paralog: GLEBS/CDI/CDII/kinase in the Bub1-like and KEN1/KEN2/D-Box in the BubR1/Mad3-like. The recently described ABBA motif can be found in either or both paralogs. We however discovered two additional ABBA motifs that flank KEN2. This cassette of ABBA1-KEN2-ABBA2 forms a strictly conserved module in all ancestral and BubR1/Mad3-like proteins, suggestive of a specific and crucial SAC function. Indeed, deletion of the ABBA motifs in human BUBR1 abrogates the SAC and affects APC/C-Cdc20 interactions. Our detailed comparative genomics analyses thus enabled discovery of a conserved cassette of motifs essential for the SAC and shows how this approach can be used to uncover hitherto unrecognized functional protein features.

Specificity determinants of phosphoprotein phosphatases controlling kinetochore functions

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitriya H. Garvanska ◽  
Jakob Nilsson
Keyword(s):  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Phosphorylation Sites ◽  
Binding Affinities ◽  
Mitotic Kinases ◽  
Anaphase Onset ◽  
Phosphoprotein Phosphatases ◽  
Linear Motifs ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Kinetochore Function

Abstract Kinetochores are instrumental for accurate chromosome segregation by binding to microtubules in order to move chromosomes and by delaying anaphase onset through the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). Dynamic phosphorylation of kinetochore components is key to control these activities and is tightly regulated by temporal and spatial recruitment of kinases and phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPPs). Here we focus on PP1, PP2A-B56 and PP2A-B55, three PPPs that are important regulators of mitosis. Despite the fact that these PPPs share a very similar active site, they target unique ser/thr phosphorylation sites to control kinetochore function. Specificity is in part achieved by PPPs binding to short linear motifs (SLiMs) that guide their substrate specificity. SLiMs bind to conserved pockets on PPPs and are degenerate in nature, giving rise to a range of binding affinities. These SLiMs control the assembly of numerous substrate specifying complexes and their position and binding strength allow PPPs to target specific phosphorylation sites. In addition, the activity of PPPs is regulated by mitotic kinases and inhibitors, either directly at the activity level or through affecting PPP–SLiM interactions. Here, we discuss recent progress in understanding the regulation of PPP specificity and activity and how this controls kinetochore biology.

An Unbiased Predictive Model to Detect DNA Methylation Propensity of CpG Islands in the Human Genome

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dicle Yalcin ◽  
Hasan H. Otu
Keyword(s):  
Model Building ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Cpg Islands ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Global Methylation ◽  
Sequence Features ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Combined Features ◽  
Epigenetic Repression

Background: Epigenetic repression mechanisms play an important role in gene regulation, specifically in cancer development. In many cases, a CpG island’s (CGI) susceptibility or resistance to methylation are shown to be contributed by local DNA sequence features. Objective: To develop unbiased machine learning models–individually and combined for different biological features–that predict the methylation propensity of a CGI. Methods: We developed our model consisting of CGI sequence features on a dataset of 75 sequences (28 prone, 47 resistant) representing a genome-wide methylation structure. We tested our model on two independent datasets that are chromosome (132 sequences) and disease (70 sequences) specific. Results: We provided improvements in prediction accuracy over previous models. Our results indicate that combined features better predict the methylation propensity of a CGI (area under the curve (AUC) ~0.81). Our global methylation classifier performs well on independent datasets reaching an AUC of ~0.82 for the complete model and an AUC of ~0.88 for the model using select sequences that better represent their classes in the training set. We report certain de novo motifs and transcription factor binding site (TFBS) motifs that are consistently better in separating prone and resistant CGIs. Conclusion: Predictive models for the methylation propensity of CGIs lead to a better understanding of disease mechanisms and can be used to classify genes based on their tendency to contain methylation prone CGIs, which may lead to preventative treatment strategies. MATLAB and Python™ scripts used for model building, prediction, and downstream analyses are available at https://github.com/dicleyalcin/methylProp_predictor.

scholarly journals Consequences of mitotic slippage for antimicrotubule drug therapy

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. T97-T106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Cheng ◽  
Karen Crasta
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Mitotic Cell ◽  
G1 Arrest ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Cell Fates ◽  
Mitotic Slippage ◽  
Drug Treatment Outcomes ◽  
Antimicrotubule Agents ◽  
Sustained Activation

Antimicrotubule agents are commonly utilised as front-line therapies against several malignancies, either by themselves or as combination therapies. Cell-based studies have pinpointed the anti-proliferative basis of action to be a consequence of perturbation of microtubule dynamics leading to sustained activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint, prolonged mitotic arrest and mitotic cell death. However, depending on the biological context and cell type, cells may take an alternative route besides mitotic cell death via a process known as mitotic slippage. Here, mitotically arrested cells ‘slip’ to the next interphase without undergoing proper chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. These post-slippage cells in turn have two main cell fates, either cell death or a G1 arrest ensuing in senescence. In this review, we take a look at the factors determining mitotic cell death vs mitotic slippage, post-slippage cell fates and accompanying features, and their consequences for antimicrotubule drug treatment outcomes.

scholarly journals Biosynthesis and secretion of functional protein S by a human megakaryoblastic cell line (MEG-01)

Blood ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-306
Author(s):  
M Ogura ◽  
N Tanabe ◽  
J Nishioka ◽  
K Suzuki ◽  
H Saito
Keyword(s):  
Cell Line ◽  
Plasma Protein ◽  
Culture Medium ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Calf Serum ◽  
Protein S ◽  
Immunoblot Analysis ◽  
Functional Assay ◽  
Functional Protein

A human megakaryoblastic cell line (MEG-01) was investigated for the presence of protein S in culture medium and cell lysates using a specific enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and a functional assay. When 5 X 10(5) MEG-01 cells/mL was subcultured in RPMI 1640 medium with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS), the concentration of protein S antigen in the culture medium increased progressively with time from less than 8 ng/mL on day 0 to 105.6 +/- 6.0 ng/mL on day 13. Vitamin K2(1 microgram/mL) increased the production of functional protein S, whereas warfarin (1 microgram/mL) profoundly decreased the quantity and the specific activity of secreted protein S. By an indirect immunofluorescent technique, protein S antigen was detected in both MEG-01 cells and human bone marrow megakaryocytes. Immunoblot analysis of culture medium revealed two distinct bands (mol wt 84,000 and 78,000) that are identical to the doublets of purified plasma protein S. De novo synthesis of protein S was demonstrated by the presence of specific immunoprecipitable radioactivity in the medium after 5 hours of labeling of the cells with [35S]-methionine as a 84,000 mol wt protein. Plasma protein S levels of nine patients with severe aplastic anemia were not significantly different from those of normal controls. These results suggest that megakaryocytes produce functional protein S and contain the enzymes required for the carboxylation of selected glutamic acid residues, and that protein S synthesized by megakaryocytes does not represent a main source of plasma protein S.

scholarly journals The right place at the right time: Aurora B kinase localization to centromeres and kinetochores

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda J. Broad ◽  
Jennifer G. DeLuca
Keyword(s):  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Centromeric Heterochromatin ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Mitotic Chromosomes ◽  
Large Protein ◽  
Aurora B Kinase ◽  
Centromeric Protein ◽  
Spindle Microtubules ◽  
The Right

Abstract The fidelity of chromosome segregation during mitosis is intimately linked to the function of kinetochores, which are large protein complexes assembled at sites of centromeric heterochromatin on mitotic chromosomes. These key “orchestrators” of mitosis physically connect chromosomes to spindle microtubules and transduce forces through these connections to congress chromosomes and silence the spindle assembly checkpoint. Kinetochore-microtubule attachments are highly regulated to ensure that incorrect attachments are not prematurely stabilized, but instead released and corrected. The kinase activity of the centromeric protein Aurora B is required for kinetochore-microtubule destabilization during mitosis, but how the kinase acts on outer kinetochore substrates to selectively destabilize immature and erroneous attachments remains debated. Here, we review recent literature that sheds light on how Aurora B kinase is recruited to both centromeres and kinetochores and discuss possible mechanisms for how kinase interactions with substrates at distinct regions of mitotic chromosomes are regulated.

scholarly journals A High-Quality Reference Genome Assembly of the Saltwater Crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, Reveals Patterns of Selection in Crocodylidae

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 3635-3646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnab Ghosh ◽  
Matthew G Johnson ◽  
Austin B Osmanski ◽  
Swarnali Louha ◽  
Natalia J Bayona-Vásquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Genome Structure ◽  
Protein Domain ◽  
Alligator Mississippiensis ◽  
Structure Evolution ◽  
Functional Protein ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Saltwater Crocodile ◽  
Crocodylus Porosus

Abstract Crocodilians are an economically, culturally, and biologically important group. To improve researchers’ ability to study genome structure, evolution, and gene regulation in the clade, we generated a high-quality de novo genome assembly of the saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, from Illumina short read data from genomic libraries and in vitro proximity-ligation libraries. The assembled genome is 2,123.5 Mb, with N50 scaffold size of 17.7 Mb and N90 scaffold size of 3.8 Mb. We then annotated this new assembly, increasing the number of annotated genes by 74%. In total, 96% of 23,242 annotated genes were associated with a functional protein domain. Furthermore, multiple noncoding functional regions and mappable genetic markers were identified. Upon analysis and overlapping the results of branch length estimation and site selection tests for detecting potential selection, we found 16 putative genes under positive selection in crocodilians, 10 in C. porosus and 6 in Alligator mississippiensis. The annotated C. porosus genome will serve as an important platform for osmoregulatory, physiological, and sex determination studies, as well as an important reference in investigating the phylogenetic relationships of crocodilians, birds, and other tetrapods.

scholarly journals ConnectingGCN5’s centromeric SAGA to the mitotic tension-sensing checkpoint

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (18) ◽  
pp. 2201-2212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily L. Petty ◽  
Masha Evpak ◽  
Lorraine Pillus
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Sister Chromatid ◽  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Binding Function ◽  
Chromatid Cohesion ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Spindle Microtubules ◽  
Low Tension ◽  
Centromere Histone H3 ◽  
Segregation Of Chromosomes

Multiple interdependent mechanisms ensure faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Among these, the spindle assembly checkpoint monitors attachment of spindle microtubules to the centromere of each chromosome, whereas the tension-sensing checkpoint monitors the opposing forces between sister chromatid centromeres for proper biorientation. We report here a new function for the deeply conserved Gcn5 acetyltransferase in the centromeric localization of Rts1, a key player in the tension-sensing checkpoint. Rts1 is a regulatory component of protein phopshatase 2A, a near universal phosphatase complex, which is recruited to centromeres by the Shugoshin (Sgo) checkpoint component under low-tension conditions to maintain sister chromatid cohesion. We report that loss of Gcn5 disrupts centromeric localization of Rts1. Increased RTS1 dosage robustly suppresses gcn5∆ cell cycle and chromosome segregation defects, including restoration of Rts1 to centromeres. Sgo1’s Rts1-binding function also plays a key role in RTS1 dosage suppression of gcn5∆ phenotypes. Notably, we have identified residues of the centromere histone H3 variant Cse4 that function in these chromosome segregation-related roles of RTS1. Together, these findings expand the understanding of the mechanistic roles of Gcn5 and Cse4 in chromosome segregation.

scholarly journals Inhibition of Autism-Related Crm1 Disrupts Mitosis and Induces Apoptosis of the Cortical Neural Progenitors

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 3960-3976
Author(s):  
Xue Li ◽  
Yue Feng ◽  
Meifang Yan ◽  
Xiaomeng Tu ◽  
Bin Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Neural Progenitors ◽  
Embryonic Brain ◽  
Mitotic Slippage ◽  
Developing Mouse Brain

Abstract De novo microdeletion of chromosome 2p15–16.1 presents clinically recognizable phenotypes that include mental retardation, autism, and microcephaly. Chromosomal maintenance 1 (CRM1) is a gene commonly missing in patients with 2p15–16.1 microdeletion and one of two genes found in the smallest deletion case. In this study, we investigate the role and mechanism of Crm1 in the developing mouse brain by inhibiting the protein or knocking down the gene in vivo. Inhibition of Crm1 reduces the proliferation and increases p53-dependent apoptosis of the cortical neural progenitors, thereby impeding the growth of embryonic cerebral cortex. Live imaging of mitosis in ex vivo embryonic brain slices reveals that inhibition of CRM1 arrests the cortical progenitors at metaphase. The arrested cells eventually slip into a pseudo-G1 phase without chromosome segregation. The mitotic slippage cells are marked by persistent expression of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), repressing of which rescues the cells from apoptosis. Our study reveals that activating the SAC and inducing the mitotic slippage may lead to apoptosis of the cortical neural progenitors. The resulting cell death may well contribute to microcephaly associated with microdeletion of chromosome 2p15–16.1 involving CRM1.

scholarly journals The RAD51 recombinase protects mitotic chromatin in human cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel E. Wassing ◽  
Emily Graham ◽  
Xanita Saayman ◽  
Lucia Rampazzo ◽  
Christine Ralf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Genomic Stability ◽  
Human Cells ◽  
Genome Integrity ◽  
Chromosomal Replication ◽  
Anaphase Onset ◽  
Mitotic Chromatin

AbstractThe RAD51 recombinase plays critical roles in safeguarding genome integrity, which is fundamentally important for all living cells. While interphase functions of RAD51 in maintaining genome stability are well-characterised, its role in mitosis remains contentious. In this study, we show that RAD51 protects under-replicated DNA in mitotic human cells and, in this way, promotes mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS) and successful chromosome segregation. In cells experiencing mild replication stress, MiDAS was detected irrespective of mitotically generated DNA damage. MiDAS broadly required de novo RAD51 recruitment to single-stranded DNA, which was supported by the phosphorylation of RAD51 by the key mitotic regulator Polo-like kinase 1. Importantly, acute inhibition of MiDAS delayed anaphase onset and induced centromere fragility, suggesting a mechanism that prevents the satisfaction of the spindle assembly checkpoint while chromosomal replication remains incomplete. This study hence identifies an unexpected function of RAD51 in promoting genomic stability in mitosis.

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