scholarly journals Centromere identity is dependent on nuclear spatial organization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weifang Wu ◽  
Toni McHugh ◽  
David A Kelly ◽  
Alison L Pidoux ◽  
Robin C Allshire

The establishment of centromere-specific CENP-A chromatin is influenced by epigenetic and genetic processes. Central domain sequences from fission yeast centromeres are preferred substrates for CENP-ACnp1 incorporation, but their use is context dependent, requiring adjacent heterochromatin. CENP-ACnp1 overexpression bypasses heterochromatin dependency, suggesting heterochromatin ensures exposure to conditions or locations permissive for CENP-ACnp1 assembly. Centromeres cluster around spindle-pole bodies (SPBs). We show that heterochromatin-bearing minichromosomes localize close to SPBs, consistent with this location promoting CENP-ACnp1 incorporation. We demonstrate that heterochromatin-independent de novo CENP-ACnp1 chromatin assembly occurs when central domain DNA is placed near, but not far from, endogenous centromeres or neocentromeres. Moreover, direct tethering of central domain DNA at SPBs permits CENP-ACnp1 assembly, suggesting that the nuclear compartment surrounding SPBs is permissive for CENP-ACnp1 incorporation because target sequences are exposed to high levels of CENP-ACnp1 and associated assembly factors. Thus, nuclear spatial organization is a key epigenetic factor that influences centromere identity.

PLoS Biology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. e170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liling Zheng ◽  
Cindi Schwartz ◽  
Valentin Magidson ◽  
Alexey Khodjakov ◽  
Snezhana Oliferenko

1999 ◽  
Vol 112 (14) ◽  
pp. 2313-2321 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Cerutti ◽  
V. Simanis

In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the onset of septum formation is induced by a signal transduction network involving several protein kinases and a GTPase switch. One of the roles of the spg1p GTPase is to localise the cdc7p protein kinase to the poles of the mitotic spindle, from where the onset of septation is thought to be signalled at the end of mitosis. Immunofluorescence studies have shown that cdc7p is located on both spindle pole bodies early in mitosis, but only on one during the later stages of anaphase. This is mediated by inactivation of spg1p on one pole before the other. The GAP for spg1p is a complex of two proteins, cdc16p and byr4p. Localisation of cdc16p and byr4p by indirect immunofluorescence during the mitotic cell cycle showed that both proteins are present on the spindle pole body in interphase cells. During mitosis, byr4p is seen first on both poles of the spindle, then on only one. This occurs prior to cdc7p becoming asymmetric. In contrast, the signal due to cdc16p decreases to a low level during early mitosis, before being seen strongly on the same pole as byr4p. Double staining indicates that this is the opposite pole to that which retains cdc7p in late anaphase. Examination of the effect of inactivating cdc16p at various stages of the cell cycle suggests that cdc16p, together with cdc2p plays a role in restraining septum formation during interphase. The asymmetric inactivation of spg1p is mediated by recruitment of the cdc16p-byr4p GAP to one of the poles of the spindle before the other, and the asymmetry of the spindle pole bodies may be established early during mitosis. Moreover, the spindle pole bodies appear to be non-equivalent even after division has been completed.


2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (13) ◽  
pp. 2427-2435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bunshiro Goto ◽  
Koei Okazaki ◽  
Osami Niwa

Chromosomes are not packed randomly in the nucleus. The Rabl orientation is an example of the non-random arrangement of chromosomes, centromeres are grouped in a limited area near the nuclear periphery and telomeres are located apart from centromeres. This orientation is established during mitosis and maintained through subsequent interphase in a range of species. We report that a Rabl-like configuration can be formed de novo without a preceding mitosis during the transition from the sexual phase to the vegetative phase of the life cycle in fission yeast. In this process, each of the dispersed centromeres is often associated with a novel Sad1-containing body that is contacting a cytoplasmic microtubule laterally (Sad1 is a component of the spindle pole body (SPB)). The Sad1-containing body was colocalized with other known SPB components, Kms1 and Spo15 but not with Cut12, indicating that it represents a novel SPB-related complex. The existence of the triplex structure (centromere-microtubule-Sad1 body) suggests that the clustering of centromeres is controlled by a cytoplasmic microtubular system. Accordingly, when microtubules are destabilized, clustering is markedly reduced.


2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 646-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mika Toya ◽  
Masamitsu Sato ◽  
Uta Haselmann ◽  
Kazuhide Asakawa ◽  
Damian Brunner ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1753-1763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirohisa Masuda ◽  
Takashi Toda

In fission yeast, γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC)–specific components Gfh1GCP4, Mod21GCP5, and Alp16GCP6 are nonessential for cell growth. Of these deletion mutants, only alp16Δ shows synthetic lethality with temperature-sensitive mutants of Mzt1MOZART1, a component of the γTuRC required for recruitment of the complex to microtubule-organizing centers. γ-Tubulin small complex levels at mitotic spindle pole bodies (SPBs, the centrosome equivalent in fungi) and microtubule levels for preanaphase spindles are significantly reduced in alp16Δ cells but not in gfh1Δ or mod21Δ cells. Furthermore, alp16Δ cells often form monopolar spindles and frequently lose a minichromosome when the spindle assembly checkpoint is inactivated. Alp16GCP6 promotes Mzt1-dependent γTuRC recruitment to mitotic SPBs and enhances spindle microtubule assembly in a manner dependent on its expression levels. Gfh1GCP4 and Mod21GCP5 are not required for Alp16GCP6-dependent γTuRC recruitment. Mzt1 has an additional role in the activation of the γTuRC for spindle microtubule assembly. The ratio of Mzt1 to γTuRC levels for preanaphase spindles is higher than at other stages of the cell cycle. Mzt1 overproduction enhances spindle microtubule assembly without affecting γTuRC levels at mitotic SPBs. We propose that Alp16GCP6 and Mzt1 act synergistically for efficient bipolar spindle assembly to ensure faithful chromosome segregation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 2970-2983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Zhang ◽  
Snezhana Oliferenko

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe undergoes “closed” mitosis in which the nuclear envelope (NE) stays intact throughout chromosome segregation. Here we show that Tts1, the fission yeast TMEM33 protein that was previously implicated in organizing the peripheral endoplasmic reticulum (ER), also functions in remodeling the NE during mitosis. Tts1 promotes insertion of spindle pole bodies (SPBs) in the NE at the onset of mitosis and modulates distribution of the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) during mitotic NE expansion. Structural features that drive partitioning of Tts1 to the high-curvature ER domains are crucial for both aspects of its function. An amphipathic helix located at the C-terminus of Tts1 is important for ER shaping and modulating the mitotic NPC distribution. Of interest, the evolutionarily conserved residues at the luminal interface of the third transmembrane region function specifically in promoting SPB-NE insertion. Our data illuminate cellular requirements for remodeling the NE during “closed” nuclear division and provide insight into the structure and functions of the eukaryotic TMEM33 family.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 3676-3690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Yan ◽  
Wanzhong Ge ◽  
Ting Gang Chew ◽  
Jeng Yeong Chow ◽  
Dannel McCollum ◽  
...  

Cytokinesis in all organisms involves the creation of membranous barriers that demarcate individual daughter cells. In fission yeast, a signaling module termed the septation initiation network (SIN) plays an essential role in the assembly of new membranes and cell wall during cytokinesis. In this study, we have characterized Slk1p, a protein-kinase related to the SIN component Sid2p. Slk1p is expressed specifically during meiosis and localizes to the spindle pole bodies (SPBs) during meiosis I and II in a SIN-dependent manner. Slk1p also localizes to the forespore membrane during sporulation. Cells lacking Slk1p display defects associated with sporulation, leading frequently to the formation of asci with smaller and/or fewer spores. The ability of slk1Δ cells to sporulate, albeit inefficiently, is fully abolished upon compromise of function of Sid2p, suggesting that Slk1p and Sid2p play overlapping roles in sporulation. Interestingly, increased expression of the syntaxin Psy1p rescues the sporulation defect of sid2-250 slk1Δ. Thus, it is likely that Slk1p and Sid2p play a role in forespore membrane assembly by facilitating recruitment of components of the secretory apparatus, such as Psy1p, to allow membrane expansion. These studies thereby provide a novel link between the SIN and vesicle trafficking during cytokinesis.


2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (14) ◽  
pp. 2627-2640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabelle Decottignies ◽  
Patrick Zarzov ◽  
Paul Nurse

We investigated the in vivo localisation of fission yeast cyclin-dependent kinase cdc2p during mitosis and meiosis. Fusion to yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) revealed that cdc2-YFP is present in the cytoplasm at all stages of the cell cycle. Nuclear cdc2-YFP fluorescence oscillates with that of cdc13-YFP cyclin. At G1/S, at least one of cdc13p, cig1p or cig2p B-type cyclins is required for the accumulation of cdc2-YFP into the nucleus. Cdc2-YFP and cdc13-YFP are highly enriched on the spindle pole body of cells in late G2 or arrested at S phase. Both accumulate on the spindle pole bodies and the spindle in prophase and metaphase independently of the microtubule-associated protein dis1p. In anaphase, the cdc2p/cdc13p complex leaves the spindle prior to sister chromatid separation, and cdc13-YFP is enriched at the nuclear periphery before fluorescence disappears. If cdc13p cannot be recognized by the anaphase-promoting complex, cdc2-YFP and cdc13-YFP remain associated with the spindle. In mating cells, cdc2-YFP enters the nucleus as soon as the cells undergo fusion. During karyogamy and meiotic prophase, cdc2-YFP is highly enriched on the centromeres. In meiosis I, association of cdc2-YFP with the spindle and the spindle pole bodies shows differences to mitotic cells, suggesting different mechanisms of spindle formation. This study suggests that changes in cdc2p localisation are important for both mitosis and meiosis regulation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 4067-4077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Rung Chen ◽  
Jing Chen ◽  
Eric C. Chang

Moe1 is a conserved fission yeast protein that negatively affects microtubule stability/assembly. We conducted a two-hybrid screen to search for Moe1-binding proteins and isolated Mal3, a homologue of human EB1. We show that Moe1 and Mal3 expressed in bacteria form a complex and that Moe1 and Mal3 expressed in fission yeast cosediment with microtubules. Deletion of either moe1 ormal3 does not result in lethality; however, deletion of both moe1 and mal3 leads to cell death in the cold. The resulting cells appear to die of chromosome missegregation, which correlates with the presence of abnormal spindles. We investigated the cause for the formation of monopolar spindles and found that only one of the two spindle pole bodies (SPBs) contains γ-tubulin, although both SPBs appear to be equal in size and properly inserted in the nuclear membrane. Moreover, the moe1 mal3 double null mutant in the cold contains abnormally short and abundant interphase microtubule bundles. These data suggest that Moe1 and Mal3 play a role in maintaining proper microtubule dynamics/integrity and distribution of γ-tubulin to the SPBs during mitosis. Finally, we show that human Moe1 and EB1 can each rescue the phenotype of the moe1 mal3 double null mutant and form a complex, suggesting that these proteins are part of a well-conserved mechanism for regulating spindle functioning.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 2920-2931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Kita ◽  
Reiko Sugiura ◽  
Hiromi Shoji ◽  
Yi He ◽  
Lu Deng ◽  
...  

Calcineurin is a highly conserved regulator of Ca2+ signaling in eukaryotes. In fission yeast, calcineurin is not essential for viability but is required for cytokinesis and Cl- homeostasis. In a genetic screen for mutations that are synthetically lethal with calcineurin deletion, we isolated a mutant, cis1-1/apm1-1, an allele of the apm1+ gene that encodes a homolog of the mammalian μ1A subunit of the clathrin-associated adaptor protein-1 (AP-1) complex. The cis1-1/apm1-1 mutant as well as the apm1-deleted (Δapm1) cells showed distinct phenotypes: temperature sensitivity; tacrolimus (FK506) sensitivity; and pleiotropic defects in cytokinesis, cell integrity, and vacuole fusion. Electron micrographs revealed that Δapm1 cells showed large vesicular structures associated with Golgi stacks and accumulated post-Golgi secretory vesicles. Δapm1 cells also showed the massive accumulation of the exocytic v-SNARE Syb1 in the Golgi/endosomes and a reduced secretion of acid phosphatase. These phenotypes observed in apm1 mutations were accentuated upon temperature up-shift and FK506 treatment. Notably, Apm1-GFP localized to the Golgi/endosomes, the spindle pole bodies, and the medial region. These findings suggest a role for Apm1 associated with the Golgi/endosome function, thereby affecting various cellular processes, including secretion, cytokinesis, vacuole fusion, and cell integrity and also suggest that calcineurin is involved in these events.


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