bims-micesi 2022-07-10 papers

Issue of 2022‒07‒10
five papers selected by
Valentina Piano
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022 ;10 862637

Kinetochore Architecture Employs Diverse Linker Strategies Across Evolution.

The assembly of a functional kinetochore on centromeric chromatin is necessary to connect chromosomes to the mitotic spindle, ensuring accurate chromosome segregation. This connecting function of the kinetochore presents multiple internal and external structural challenges. A microtubule interacting outer kinetochore and centromeric chromatin interacting inner kinetochore effectively confront forces from the external spindle and centromere, respectively. While internally, special inner kinetochore proteins, defined as "linkers," simultaneously interact with centromeric chromatin and the outer kinetochore to enable association with the mitotic spindle. With the ability to simultaneously interact with outer kinetochore components and centromeric chromatin, linker proteins such as centromere protein (CENP)-C or CENP-T in vertebrates and, additionally CENP-QOkp1-UAme1 in yeasts, also perform the function of force propagation within the kinetochore. Recent efforts have revealed an array of linker pathways strategies to effectively recruit the largely conserved outer kinetochore. In this review, we examine these linkages used to propagate force and recruit the outer kinetochore across evolution. Further, we look at their known regulatory pathways and implications on kinetochore structural diversity and plasticity.

Keywords: CCAN; centromere; chromosome segregation; constitutive centromere associated network; evolution; kinetochore; mitosis; mitotic spindle

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.862637

Elife. 2022 Jul 05. pii: e78450. [Epub ahead of print]11

Reconstitution of kinetochore motility and microtubule dynamics reveals a role for a kinesin-8 in establishing end-on attachments.

Julia R Torvi, Jonathan Wong, Daniel Serwas, Amir Moayed, David G Drubin, Georjana Barnes.

During mitosis, individual microtubules make attachments to chromosomes via a specialized protein complex called the kinetochore to faithfully segregate the chromosomes to daughter cells. Translocation of kinetochores on the lateral surface of the microtubule has been proposed to contribute to high fidelity chromosome capture and alignment at the mitotic midzone, but has been difficult to observe in vivo because of spatial and temporal constraints. To overcome these barriers, we used total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy to track the interactions between microtubules, kinetochore proteins, and other microtubule-associated proteins in lysates from metaphase-arrested Saccharomyces cerevisiae. TIRF microscopy and cryo-correlative light microscopy and electron tomography indicated that we successfully reconstituted interactions between intact kinetochores and microtubules. These kinetochores translocate on the lateral microtubule surface toward the microtubule plus end and transition to end-on attachment, whereupon microtubule depolymerization commences. The directional kinetochore movement is dependent on the highly processive kinesin-8, Kip3. We propose that Kip3 facilitates stable kinetochore attachment to microtubule plus ends through its abilities to move the kinetochore laterally on the surface of the microtubule and to regulate microtubule plus end dynamics.

Keywords: Kip3; S. cerevisiae; cell biology; kinesin-8; kinetochore; microtubules; mitosis

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.78450

Cells. 2022 Jun 24. pii: 2019. [Epub ahead of print]11(13):

Explaining Redundancy in CDK-Mediated Control of the Cell Cycle: Unifying the Continuum and Quantitative Models.

Daniel Fisher, Liliana Krasinska.

In eukaryotes, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are required for the onset of DNA replication and mitosis, and distinct CDK-cyclin complexes are activated sequentially throughout the cell cycle. It is widely thought that specific complexes are required to traverse a point of commitment to the cell cycle in G1, and to promote S-phase and mitosis, respectively. Thus, according to a popular model that has dominated the field for decades, the inherent specificity of distinct CDK-cyclin complexes for different substrates at each phase of the cell cycle generates the correct order and timing of events. However, the results from the knockouts of genes encoding cyclins and CDKs do not support this model. An alternative "quantitative" model, validated by much recent work, suggests that it is the overall level of CDK activity (with the opposing input of phosphatases) that determines the timing and order of S-phase and mitosis. We take this model further by suggesting that the subdivision of the cell cycle into discrete phases (G0, G1, S, G2, and M) is outdated and problematic. Instead, we revive the "continuum" model of the cell cycle and propose that a combination with the quantitative model better defines a conceptual framework for understanding cell cycle control.

Keywords: cell cycle control; cyclin-dependent kinase; redundancy; specificity

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11132019

Front Physiol. 2022 ;13 951979

Mitosis, Focus on Calcium.

Charlotte Nugues, Nordine Helassa, Lee P Haynes.

The transformation of a single fertilised egg into an adult human consisting of tens of trillions of highly diverse cell types is a marvel of biology. The expansion is largely achieved by cell duplication through the process of mitosis. Mitosis is essential for normal growth, development, and tissue repair and is one of the most tightly regulated biological processes studied. This regulation is designed to ensure accurate segregation of chromosomes into each new daughter cell since errors in this process can lead to genetic imbalances, aneuploidy, that can lead to diseases including cancer. Understanding how mitosis operates and the molecular mechanisms that ensure its fidelity are therefore not only of significant intellectual value but provide unique insights into disease pathology. The purpose of this review is to revisit historical evidence that mitosis can be influenced by the ubiquitous second messenger calcium and to discuss this in the context of new findings revealing exciting new information about its role in cell division.

Keywords: GCaMP Ca2+ imaging; calcium; cytokinesis; mitosis; regulation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.951979

PLoS One. 2022 ;17(7): e0270923

LiveCellMiner: A new tool to analyze mitotic progression.

Daniel Moreno-Andrés, Anuk Bhattacharyya, Anja Scheufen, Johannes Stegmaier.

Live-cell imaging has become state of the art to accurately identify the nature of mitotic and cell cycle defects. Low- and high-throughput microscopy setups have yield huge data amounts of cells recorded in different experimental and pathological conditions. Tailored semi-automated and automated image analysis approaches allow the analysis of high-content screening data sets, saving time and avoiding bias. However, they were mostly designed for very specific experimental setups, which restricts their flexibility and usability. The general need for dedicated experiment-specific user-annotated training sets and experiment-specific user-defined segmentation parameters remains a major bottleneck for fully automating the analysis process. In this work we present LiveCellMiner, a highly flexible open-source software tool to automatically extract, analyze and visualize both aggregated and time-resolved image features with potential biological relevance. The software tool allows analysis across high-content data sets obtained in different platforms, in a quantitative and unbiased manner. As proof of principle application, we analyze here the dynamic chromatin and tubulin cytoskeleton features in human cells passing through mitosis highlighting the versatile and flexible potential of this tool set.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270923