-
Cells Oct 2020The "tubulin code" combines different α/β-tubulin isotypes with several post-translational modifications (PTMs) to generate microtubule diversity in cells. During cell... (Review)
Review
The "tubulin code" combines different α/β-tubulin isotypes with several post-translational modifications (PTMs) to generate microtubule diversity in cells. During cell division, specific microtubule populations in the mitotic spindle are differentially modified, but only recently, the functional significance of the tubulin code, with particular emphasis on the role specified by tubulin PTMs, started to be elucidated. This is the case of α-tubulin detyrosination, which was shown to guide chromosomes during congression to the metaphase plate and allow the discrimination of mitotic errors, whose correction is required to prevent chromosomal instability-a hallmark of human cancers implicated in tumor evolution and metastasis. Although alterations in the expression of certain tubulin isotypes and associated PTMs have been reported in human cancers, it remains unclear whether and how the tubulin code has any functional implications for cancer cell properties. Here, we review the role of the tubulin code in chromosome segregation during mitosis and how it impacts cancer cell properties. In this context, we discuss the existence of an emerging "cancer tubulin code" and the respective implications for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes.
Topics: Cell Movement; Centrosome; Chromosomal Instability; Cytokinesis; Disease Susceptibility; Humans; Microtubules; Mitosis; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasms; Protein Isoforms; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Spindle Apparatus; Tubulin
PubMed: 33114575
DOI: 10.3390/cells9112356 -
Cytometry. Part a : the Journal of the... Apr 2021Flow cytometric analysis and sorting of plant mitotic chromosomes has been mastered by only a few laboratories worldwide. Yet, it has been contributing significantly to... (Review)
Review
Flow cytometric analysis and sorting of plant mitotic chromosomes has been mastered by only a few laboratories worldwide. Yet, it has been contributing significantly to progress in plant genetics, including the production of genome assemblies and the cloning of important genes. The dissection of complex genomes by flow sorting into the individual chromosomes that represent small parts of the genome reduces DNA sample complexity and streamlines projects relying on molecular and genomic techniques. Whereas flow cytometric analysis, that is, chromosome classification according to fluorescence and light scatter properties, is an integral part of any chromosome sorting project, it has rarely been used on its own due to lower resolution and sensitivity as compared to other cytogenetic methods. To perform chromosome analysis and sorting, commercially available electrostatic droplet sorters are suitable. However, in order to resolve and purify chromosomes of interest the instrument must offer high resolution of optical signals as well as stability during long runs. The challenge is thus not the instrumentation, but the adequate sample preparation. The sample must be a suspension of intact mitotic metaphase chromosomes and the protocol, which includes the induction of cell cycle synchrony, accumulation of dividing cells at metaphase, and release of undamaged chromosomes, is time consuming and laborious and needs to be performed very carefully. Moreover, in addition to fluorescent staining chromosomal DNA, the protocol may include specific labelling of DNA repeats to facilitate discrimination of particular chromosomes. This review introduces the applications of chromosome sorting in plants, and discusses in detail sample preparation, chromosome analysis and sorting to achieve the highest purity in flow-sorted fractions, and their suitability for downstream applications.
Topics: Cell Cycle; Chromosomes, Plant; Flow Cytometry; Metaphase; Plants
PubMed: 33615737
DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24324 -
Annual Review of Biochemistry Jun 2016Life depends on cell proliferation and the accurate segregation of chromosomes, which are mediated by the microtubule (MT)-based mitotic spindle and ∼200 essential... (Review)
Review
Life depends on cell proliferation and the accurate segregation of chromosomes, which are mediated by the microtubule (MT)-based mitotic spindle and ∼200 essential MT-associated proteins. Yet, a mechanistic understanding of how the mitotic spindle is assembled and achieves chromosome segregation is still missing. This is mostly due to the density of MTs in the spindle, which presumably precludes their direct observation. Recent insight has been gained into the molecular building plan of the metaphase spindle using bulk and single-molecule measurements combined with computational modeling. MT nucleation was uncovered as a key principle of spindle assembly, and mechanistic details about MT nucleation pathways and their coordination are starting to be revealed. Lastly, advances in studying spindle assembly can be applied to address the molecular mechanisms of how the spindle segregates chromosomes.
Topics: Animals; Centrosome; Chromosome Segregation; Drosophila melanogaster; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Kinesins; Kinetochores; Metaphase; Microtubule-Associated Proteins; Microtubules; Signal Transduction; Spindle Apparatus; Tubulin; Xenopus Proteins; Xenopus laevis; Zygote
PubMed: 27145846
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-060815-014528 -
Biochemical Pharmacology Sep 2019Mitosis ensures accurate segregation of duplicated DNA through tight regulation of chromosome condensation, bipolar spindle assembly, chromosome alignment in the... (Review)
Review
Mitosis ensures accurate segregation of duplicated DNA through tight regulation of chromosome condensation, bipolar spindle assembly, chromosome alignment in the metaphase plate, chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), in particular PARP1, PARP2, PARP3, PARP5a (TNKS1), as well as poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), regulate different mitotic functions, including centrosome function, mitotic spindle assembly, mitotic checkpoints, telomere length and telomere cohesion. PARP depletion or inhibition give rise to various mitotic defects such as centrosome amplification, multipolar spindles, chromosome misalignment, premature loss of cohesion, metaphase arrest, anaphase DNA bridges, lagging chromosomes, and micronuclei. As the mechanisms of PARP1/2 inhibitor-mediated cell death are being progressively elucidated, it is becoming clear that mitotic defects caused by PARP1/2 inhibition arise due to replication stress and DNA damage in S phase. As it stands, entrapment of inactive PARP1/2 on DNA phenocopies replication stress through accumulation of unresolved replication intermediates, double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) and incorrectly repaired DSBs, which can be transmitted from S phase to mitosis and instigate various mitotic defects, giving rise to both numerical and structural chromosomal aberrations. Cancer cells have increased levels of replication stress, which makes them particularly susceptible to a combination of agents that compromise replication fork stability. Indeed, combining PARP1/2 inhibitors with genetic deficiencies in DNA repair pathways, DNA-damaging agents, ATR and other cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors has yielded synergistic effects in killing cancer cells. Here I provide a comprehensive overview of the mitotic functions of PARPs and PARG, mitotic phenotypes induced by their depletion or inhibition, as well as the therapeutic relevance of targeting mitotic cells by directly interfering with mitotic functions or indirectly through replication stress.
Topics: Animals; DNA Damage; DNA Repair; Humans; Mitosis; Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases
PubMed: 30910692
DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.03.028 -
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in... Feb 2015The primary goal of mitosis is to partition duplicated chromosomes into daughter cells. Eukaryotic chromosomes are equipped with two distinct classes of intrinsic... (Review)
Review
The primary goal of mitosis is to partition duplicated chromosomes into daughter cells. Eukaryotic chromosomes are equipped with two distinct classes of intrinsic machineries, cohesin and condensins, that ensure their faithful segregation during mitosis. Cohesin holds sister chromatids together immediately after their synthesis during S phase until the establishment of bipolar attachments to the mitotic spindle in metaphase. Condensins, on the other hand, attempt to "resolve" sister chromatids by counteracting cohesin. The products of the balancing acts of cohesin and condensins are metaphase chromosomes, in which two rod-shaped chromatids are connected primarily at the centromere. In anaphase, this connection is released by the action of separase that proteolytically cleaves the remaining population of cohesin. Recent studies uncover how this series of events might be mechanistically coupled with each other and intricately regulated by a number of regulatory factors.
Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Cell Cycle Proteins; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; Chromosome Segregation; Chromosomes; Cytokinesis; DNA-Binding Proteins; Mitosis; Multiprotein Complexes; Sister Chromatid Exchange; Cohesins
PubMed: 25722466
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a015792 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2014The final stage of cell division (mitosis), involves the compaction of the duplicated genome into chromatid pairs. Each pair is captured by microtubules emanating from... (Review)
Review
The final stage of cell division (mitosis), involves the compaction of the duplicated genome into chromatid pairs. Each pair is captured by microtubules emanating from opposite spindle poles, aligned at the metaphase plate, and then faithfully segregated to form two identical daughter cells. Chromatids that are not correctly attached to the spindle are detected by the constitutively active spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). Any stress that prevents correct bipolar spindle attachment, blocks the satisfaction of the SAC, and induces a prolonged mitotic arrest, providing the cell time to obtain attachment and complete segregation correctly. Unfortunately, during mitosis repairing damage is not generally possible due to the compaction of DNA into chromosomes, and subsequent suppression of gene transcription and translation. Therefore, in the presence of significant damage cell death is instigated to ensure that genomic stability is maintained. While most stresses lead to an arrest in mitosis, some promote premature mitotic exit, allowing cells to bypass mitotic cell death. This mini-review will focus on the effects and outcomes that common stresses have on mitosis, and how this impacts on the efficacy of mitotic chemotherapies.
PubMed: 24926440
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2014.00140 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2016The kinetochore is the primary site of interaction between chromosomes and microtubules of the mitotic spindle during chromosome segregation. Kinetochores are composed...
The kinetochore is the primary site of interaction between chromosomes and microtubules of the mitotic spindle during chromosome segregation. Kinetochores are composed of more than 100 proteins that transiently assemble during mitosis at a single epigenetically defined region on each chromosome, known as the centromere. Kinetochore assembly and activity must be tightly regulated to ensure proper microtubule interaction and faithful chromosome segregation. Kinetochore malfunction can result in chromosome segregation defects leading to aneuploidy and cell death. As such, cell free and reconstituted systems to analyze kinetochore formation and function are invaluable in probing the biochemical activities of kinetochores. In vitro approaches to studying kinetochores have enabled the manipulation of kinetochore protein structure, function, interactions, and regulation that are not possible in cells. Here we outline a cell-free approach for the assembly of centromeres and recruitment of functional kinetochores that enables their manipulation and analysis.
Topics: Animals; Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Cell Extracts; Centromere; Centromere Protein A; Chromatin; Female; Gene Expression; Histones; Kinetochores; Metaphase; Microtubules; Mitosis; Nucleosomes; Oocytes; Protein Multimerization; Spindle Apparatus; Xenopus
PubMed: 27193846
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3542-0_8 -
Science Advances Jan 2023Although mitotic chromosomes are highly compacted and transcriptionally inert, some active chromatin features are retained during mitosis to ensure the proper...
Although mitotic chromosomes are highly compacted and transcriptionally inert, some active chromatin features are retained during mitosis to ensure the proper postmitotic reestablishment of maternal transcriptional programs, a phenomenon termed "mitotic bookmarking." However, the dynamics and regulation of mitotic bookmarking have not been systemically surveyed. Using single-cell transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq), we examined 6538 mitotic L02 human liver cells of variable stages and found that chromatin accessibility remained changing throughout cell division, with a constant decrease until metaphase and a gradual increase as chromosomes segregated. In particular, a subset of chromatin regions were identified to remain open throughout mitosis, and genes associated with these bookmarked regions are primarily linked to rapid reactivation upon mitotic exit. We also demonstrated that nuclear transcription factor Y subunit α (NF-YA) preferentially occupied bookmarked regions and contributed to transcriptional reactivation after mitosis. Our study uncovers the dynamic and regulatory blueprint of mitotic bookmarking.
Topics: Humans; Chromatin; Chromosomes; Transcription Factors; Mitosis
PubMed: 36696508
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add2175 -
ELife Apr 2023During the rapid and reductive cleavage divisions of early embryogenesis, subcellular structures such as the nucleus and mitotic spindle scale to decreasing cell size....
During the rapid and reductive cleavage divisions of early embryogenesis, subcellular structures such as the nucleus and mitotic spindle scale to decreasing cell size. Mitotic chromosomes also decrease in size during development, presumably to scale coordinately with mitotic spindles, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here we combine in vivo and in vitro approaches using eggs and embryos from the frog to show that mitotic chromosome scaling is mechanistically distinct from other forms of subcellular scaling. We found that mitotic chromosomes scale continuously with cell, spindle, and nuclear size in vivo. However, unlike for spindles and nuclei, mitotic chromosome size cannot be reset by cytoplasmic factors from earlier developmental stages. In vitro, increasing nuclear-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio is sufficient to recapitulate mitotic chromosome scaling, but not nuclear or spindle scaling, through differential loading of maternal factors during interphase. An additional pathway involving importin α scales mitotic chromosomes to cell surface area/volume ratio (SA/V) during metaphase. Finally, single-chromosome immunofluorescence and Hi-C data suggest that mitotic chromosomes shrink during embryogenesis through decreased recruitment of condensin I, resulting in major rearrangements of DNA loop architecture to accommodate the same amount of DNA on a shorter chromosome axis. Together, our findings demonstrate how mitotic chromosome size is set by spatially and temporally distinct developmental cues in the early embryo.
Topics: Animals; Xenopus laevis; Cell Nucleus; Chromosomes; Cytoplasm; Spindle Apparatus; Cell Size; Mitosis
PubMed: 37096661
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.84360 -
Centrosome linker diversity and its function in centrosome clustering and mitotic spindle formation.The EMBO Journal Sep 2023The centrosome linker joins the two interphase centrosomes of a cell into one microtubule organizing center. Despite increasing knowledge on linker components, linker...
The centrosome linker joins the two interphase centrosomes of a cell into one microtubule organizing center. Despite increasing knowledge on linker components, linker diversity in different cell types and their role in cells with supernumerary centrosomes remained unexplored. Here, we identified Ninein as a C-Nap1-anchored centrosome linker component that provides linker function in RPE1 cells while in HCT116 and U2OS cells, Ninein and Rootletin link centrosomes together. In interphase, overamplified centrosomes use the linker for centrosome clustering, where Rootletin gains centrosome linker function in RPE1 cells. Surprisingly, in cells with centrosome overamplification, C-Nap1 loss prolongs metaphase through persistent activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint indicated by BUB1 and MAD1 accumulation at kinetochores. In cells lacking C-Nap1, the reduction of microtubule nucleation at centrosomes and the delay in nuclear envelop rupture in prophase probably cause mitotic defects like multipolar spindle formation and chromosome mis-segregation. These defects are enhanced when the kinesin HSET, which normally clusters multiple centrosomes in mitosis, is partially inhibited indicating a functional interplay between C-Nap1 and centrosome clustering in mitosis.
Topics: Centrosome; Cell Cycle; Cell Cycle Proteins; Interphase; Mitosis; Spindle Apparatus
PubMed: 37401899
DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021109738