Polo kinase Cdc5 associates with centromeres to facilitate the removal of centromeric cohesin during mitosis.

Sister chromatid cohesion is essential for tension-sensing mechanisms that monitor bipolar attachment of replicated chromatids in metaphase. Cohesion is mediated by the association of cohesins along the length of sister chromatid arms. In contrast, centromeric cohesin generates intrastrand cohesion and sister centromeres, while highly cohesin enriched, are separated by >800 nm at metaphase in yeast. Removal of cohesin is necessary for sister chromatid separation during anaphase, and this is regulated by evolutionarily conserved polo-like kinase (Cdc5 in yeast, Plk1 in humans). Here we address how high levels of cohesins at centromeric chromatin are removed. Cdc5 associates with centromeric chromatin and cohesin-associated regions. Maximum enrichment of Cdc5 in centromeric chromatin occurs during the metaphase-to-anaphase transition and coincides with the removal of chromosome-associated cohesin. Cdc5 interacts with cohesin in vivo, and cohesin is required for association of Cdc5 at centromeric chromatin. Cohesin removal from centromeric chromatin requires Cdc5 but removal at distal chromosomal arm sites does not. Our results define a novel role for Cdc5 in regulating removal of centromeric cohesins and faithful chromosome segregation.

Phospho-regulation of kinesin-5 during anaphase spindle elongation.

The kinesin-5 Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue Cin8 is shown here to be differentially phosphorylated during late anaphase at Cdk1-specific sites located in its motor domain. Wild-type Cin8 binds to the early-anaphase spindles and detaches from the spindles at late anaphase, whereas the phosphorylation-deficient Cin8-3A mutant protein remains attached to a larger region of the spindle and spindle poles for prolonged periods. This localization of Cin8-3A causes faster spindle elongation and longer anaphase spindles, which have aberrant morphology. By contrast, the phospho-mimic Cin8-3D mutant exhibits reduced binding to the spindles. In the absence of the kinesin-5 homologue Kip1, cells expressing Cin8-3D exhibit spindle assembly defects and are not viable at 37°C as a result of spindle collapse. We propose that dephosphorylation of Cin8 promotes its binding to the spindle microtubules before the onset of anaphase. In mid to late anaphase, phosphorylation of Cin8 causes its detachment from the spindles, which reduces the spindle elongation rate and aids in maintaining spindle morphology.

Slk19-dependent mid-anaphase pause in kinesin-5-mutated cells.

We examined spindle elongation in anaphase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells mutated for the kinesin-5 motor proteins Cin8 and Kip1. Cells were deleted for KIP1 and/or expressed one of two motor-domain Cin8 mutants (Cin8-F467A or Cin8-R196K, which differ in their ability to bind microtubules in vitro, with Cin8-F467A having the weakest ability). We found that, in kinesin-5-mutated cells, predominantly in kip1 Delta cin8-F467A cells, anaphase spindle elongation was frequently interrupted after the fast phase, resulting in a mid-anaphase pause. Expression of kinesin-5 mutants also caused an asymmetric midzone location and enlarged midzone size, suggesting that proper organization of the midzone is required for continuous spindle elongation. We also examined the effects of components of the FEAR pathway, which is involved in the early-anaphase activation of Cdc14 regulatory phosphatase, on anaphase spindle elongation in kip1 Delta cin8-F467A cells. Deletion of SLK19, but not SPO12, eliminated the mid-anaphase pause, caused premature anaphase onset and defects in DNA division during anaphase, and reduced viability in these cells. Finally, overriding of the pre-anaphase checkpoint by overexpression of Cdc20 also eliminated the mid-anaphase pause and caused DNA deformation during anaphase in kip1 Delta cin8-F467A cells. We propose that transient activation of the pre-anaphase checkpoint in kinesin-5-mutated cells induces a Slk19-dependent mid-anaphase pause, which might be important for proper DNA segregation.

Homotetrameric form of Cin8p, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinesin-5 motor, is essential for its in vivo function.

Kinesin-5 motor proteins are evolutionarily conserved and perform essential roles in mitotic spindle assembly and spindle elongation during anaphase. Previous studies demonstrated a specialized homotetrameric structure with two pairs of catalytic domains, one at each end of a dumbbell-shaped molecule. This suggests that they perform their spindle roles by cross-linking and sliding antiparallel spindle microtubules. However, the exact kinesin-5 sequence elements that are important for formation of the tetrameric complexes have not yet been identified. In addition, it has not been demonstrated that the homotetrameric form of these proteins is essential for their biological functions. Thus, we investigated a series of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cin8p truncations and internal deletions, in order to identify structural elements in the Cin8p sequence that are required for Cin8p functionality, spindle localization, and multimerization. We found that all variants of Cin8p that are functional in vivo form tetrameric complexes. The first coiled-coil domain in the stalk of Cin8p, a feature that is shared by all kinesin-5 homologues, is required for its dimerization, and sequences in the last part of the stalk, specifically those likely involved in coiled-coil formation, are required for Cin8p tetramerization. We also found that dimeric forms of Cin8p that are nonfunctional in vivo can nonetheless bind to microtubules. These findings suggest that binding of microtubules is not sufficient for the functionality of Cin8p and that microtubule cross-linking by the tetrameric complex is essential for Cin8p mitotic functions.

Cell cycle control of kinesin-mediated transport of Bik1 (CLIP-170) regulates microtubule stability and dynein activation.

CLIPs are microtubule plus end-associated proteins that mediate interactions required for cell polarity and cell division. Here we demonstrate that budding yeast Bik1, unlike its human ortholog CLIP-170, is targeted to the microtubule plus end by a kinesin-dependent transport mechanism. Bik1 forms a complex with the kinesin Kip2. Fluorescently labeled Bik1 and Kip2 comigrate along individual microtubules. Bik1 exists in distinct intracellular pools: a stable pool at the spindle pole body that is depleted during cell cycle progression, a soluble pool from which Bik1 can be recruited during microtubule initiation, and a dynamic plus end pool maintained by Kip2. Kip2 stabilizes microtubules by targeting Bik1 to the plus end and Kip2 levels are controlled during the cell cycle. As with Bik1, the targeting of dynein to the microtubule plus end requires Kip2. These findings reveal a central role for Kip2-dependent transport in the cell cycle control of microtubule dynamics and dynein-dependent motility.

Determinants of S. cerevisiae dynein localization and activation: implications for the mechanism of spindle positioning.

BACKGROUND: During anaphase in budding yeast, dynein inserts the mitotic spindle across the neck between mother and daughter cells. The mechanism of dynein-dependent spindle positioning is thought to involve recruitment of dynein to the cell cortex followed by capture of astral microtubules (aMTs). RESULTS: We report the native-level localization of the dynein heavy chain and characterize the effects of mutations in dynein regulators on its intracellular distribution. Budding yeast dynein displays discontinuous localization along aMTs, with enrichment at the spindle pole body and aMT plus ends. Loss of Bik1p (CLIP-170), the cargo binding domain of Bik1p, or Pac1p (LIS1) resulted in diminished targeting of dynein to aMTs. By contrast, loss of dynactin or a mutation in the second P loop domain of dynein resulted in an accumulation of dynein on the plus ends of aMTs. Unexpectedly, loss of Num1p, a proposed dynein cortical anchor, also resulted in selective accumulation of dynein on the plus ends of anaphase aMTs. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that, rather than first being recruited to the cell cortex, dynein is delivered to the cortex on the plus ends of polymerizing aMTs. Dynein may then undergo Num1p-dependent activation and transfer to the region of cortical contact. Based on the similar effects of loss of Num1p and loss of dynactin on dynein localization, we suggest that Num1p might also enhance dynein motor activity or processivity, perhaps by clustering dynein motors.