Guiding Mitotic Progression by Crosstalk between Post-translational Modifications.

Cell division is tightly regulated to disentangle copied chromosomes in an orderly manner and prevent loss of genome integrity. During mitosis, transcriptional activity is limited and post-translational modifications (PTMs) are responsible for functional protein regulation. Essential mitotic regulators, including polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), as well as the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), are members of the enzymatic machinery responsible for protein modification. Interestingly, communication between PTMs ensures the essential tight and timely control during all consecutive phases of mitosis. Here, we present an overview of current concepts and understanding of crosstalk between PTMs regulating mitotic progression.

Chromokinesin KIF4A teams up with stathmin 1 to regulate abscission in a SUMO-dependent manner.

Cell division ends when two daughter cells physically separate via abscission, the cleavage of the intercellular bridge. It is not clear how the anti-parallel microtubule bundles bridging daughter cells are severed. Here, we present a novel abscission mechanism. We identified chromokinesin KIF4A, which is adjacent to the midbody during cytokinesis, as being required for efficient abscission. KIF4A is regulated by post-translational modifications. We evaluated modification of KIF4A by the ubiquitin-like protein SUMO. We mapped lysine 460 in KIF4A as the SUMO acceptor site and employed CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing to block SUMO conjugation of endogenous KIF4A. Failure to SUMOylate this site in KIF4A delayed cytokinesis. SUMOylation of KIF4A enhanced the affinity for the microtubule destabilizer stathmin 1 (STMN1). We here present a new level of abscission regulation through the dynamic interactions between KIF4A and STMN1 as controlled by SUMO modification of KIF4A.

Uncovering SUMOylation dynamics during cell-cycle progression reveals FoxM1 as a key mitotic SUMO target protein.

Loss of small ubiquitin-like modification (SUMOylation) in mice causes genomic instability due to the missegregation of chromosomes. Currently, little is known about the identity of relevant SUMO target proteins that are involved in this process and about global SUMOylation dynamics during cell-cycle progression. We performed a large-scale quantitative proteomics screen to address this and identified 593 proteins to be SUMO-2 modified, including the Forkhead box transcription factor M1 (FoxM1), a key regulator of cell-cycle progression and chromosome segregation. SUMOylation of FoxM1 peaks during G2 and M phase, when FoxM1 transcriptional activity is required. We found that a SUMOylation-deficient FoxM1 mutant was less active compared to wild-type FoxM1, implying that SUMOylation of the protein enhances its transcriptional activity. Mechanistically, SUMOylation blocks the dimerization of FoxM1, thereby relieving FoxM1 autorepression. Cells deficient for FoxM1 SUMOylation showed increased levels of polyploidy. Our findings contribute to understanding the role of SUMOylation during cell-cycle progression.

Converging Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) and Ubiquitin Signaling: Improved Methodology Identifies Co-modified Target Proteins.

Post-translational protein modifications (PTMs) including small chemical groups and small proteins, belonging to the ubiquitin family, are essential for virtually all cellular processes. In addition to modification by a single PTM, proteins can be modified by a combination of different modifiers, which are able to influence each other. Because little is known about crosstalk among different ubiquitin family members, we developed an improved method enabling identification of co-modified proteins on a system-wide level using mass spectrometry. We focused on the role of crosstalk between SUMO and ubiquitin during proteasomal degradation. Using two complementary approaches, we identified 498 proteins to be significantly co-modified by SUMO and ubiquitin upon MG132 treatment. These targets included many enzymatic components of PTM machinery, involved in SUMOylation and ubiquitylation, but also phosphorylation, methylation and acetylation, revealing a highly complex interconnected network of crosstalk among different PTMs. In addition, various other biological processes were found to be significantly enriched within the group of co-modified proteins, including transcription, DNA repair and the cell cycle. Interestingly, the latter group mostly consisted of proteins involved in mitosis, including a subset of chromosome segregation regulators. We hypothesize that group modification by SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligases regulates the stability of the identified subset of mitotic proteins, which ensures proper chromosome segregation. The mitotic regulators KIF23 and MIS18BP1 were verified to be co-modified by SUMO and ubiquitin on inhibition of the proteasome and subsequently identified as novel RNF4 targets. Both modifications on MIS18BP1 were observed to increase simultaneously during late mitosis, whereas the total protein level decreased immediately afterward. These results confirm the regulation of MIS18BP1 via SUMO-ubiquitin crosstalk during mitosis. Combined, our work highlights extensive crosstalk between SUMO and ubiquitin, providing a resource for further unraveling of SUMO-ubiquitin crosstalk.

SUMOylation and PARylation cooperate to recruit and stabilize SLX4 at DNA damage sites.

SUMOylation plays important roles in the DNA damage response. However, whether it is important for interstrand crosslink repair remains unknown. We report that the SLX4 nuclease scaffold protein is regulated by SUMOylation. We have identified three SUMO interaction motifs (SIMs) in SLX4, mutating all of which abrogated the binding of SLX4 to SUMO-2 and covalent SLX4 SUMOylation. An SLX4 mutant lacking functional SIMs is not recruited to PML nuclear bodies nor stabilized at laser-induced DNA damage sites. Additionally, we elucidated a novel role for PARylation in the recruitment of SLX4 to sites of DNA damage. Combined, our results uncover how SLX4 is regulated by post-translational modifications.

Unexpected transcellular protein crossover occurs during canonical DNA transfection.

Transfection of DNA has been invaluable for biological sciences, yet the effects upon membrane homeostasis are far from negligible. Here, we demonstrate that Neuro2A cells transfected using Lipofectamine LTX with the fluorescently coupled Botulinum serotype A holoenzyme (EGFP-LcA) cDNA express this SNAP25 protease that can, once translated, escape the transfected host cytosol and become endocytosed into untransfected cells, without its innate binding and translocation domains. Fluorescent readouts revealed moderate transfection rates (30-50%) while immunoblotting revealed a surprisingly total enzymatic cleavage of SNAP25; the transgenic protein acted beyond the confines of its host cell. Using intracellular dyes, no important cytotoxic effects were observed from reagent treatment alone, which excluded the possibility of membrane ruptures, though noticeably, intracellular acidic organelles were redistributed towards the plasma membrane. This drastic, yet frequently unobserved, change in protein permeability and endosomal trafficking following reagent treatment highlights important concerns for all studies using transient transfection.

Botulinum protease-cleaved SNARE fragments induce cytotoxicity in neuroblastoma cells.

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) are crucial for exocytosis, trafficking, and neurite outgrowth, where vesicular SNAREs are directed toward their partner target SNAREs: synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa and syntaxin. SNARE proteins are normally membrane bound, but can be cleaved and released by botulinum neurotoxins. We found that botulinum proteases types C and D can easily be transduced into endocrine cells using DNA-transfection reagents. Following administration of the C and D proteases into normally refractory Neuro2A neuroblastoma cells, the SNARE proteins were cleaved with high efficiency within hours. Remarkably, botulinum protease exposures led to cytotoxicity evidenced by spectrophotometric assays and propidium iodide penetration into the nuclei. Direct delivery of SNARE fragments into the neuroblastoma cells reduced viability similar to botulinum proteases' application. We observed synergistic cytotoxic effects of the botulinum proteases, which may be explained by the release and interaction of soluble SNARE fragments. We show for the first time that previously observed cytotoxicity of botulinum neurotoxins/C in neurons could be achieved in cells of neuroendocrine origin with implications for medical uses of botulinum preparations. Ternary complex formation by synaptobrevin (green) and syntaxin/synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (red) is necessary for vesicle fusion, membrane trafficking, and cell homeostasis. Botulinum proteases cleave the three SNAREs proteins as indicated, resulting in a loss of cell viability. Lipofection reagents were used to deliver botulinum proteases or short SNARE peptides into neuroblastoma cells, revealing cytotoxic effects of SNARE fragments.

Stapling of the botulinum type A protease to growth factors and neuropeptides allows selective targeting of neuroendocrine cells.

Precise cellular targeting of macromolecular cargos has important biotechnological and medical implications. Using a recently established 'protein stapling' method, we linked the proteolytic domain of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) to a selection of ligands to target neuroendocrine tumor cells. The botulinum proteolytic domain was chosen because of its well-known potency to block the release of neurotransmitters and hormones. Among nine tested stapled ligands, the epidermal growth factor was able to deliver the botulinum enzyme into pheochromocytoma PC12 and insulinoma Min6 cells; ciliary neurotrophic factor was effective on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and Neuro2A cells, whereas corticotropin-releasing hormone was active on pituitary AtT-20 cells and the two neuroblastoma cell lines. In neuronal cultures, the epidermal growth factor- and ciliary neurotrophic factor-directed botulinum enzyme targeted distinct subsets of neurons whereas the whole native neurotoxin targeted the cortical neurons indiscriminately. At nanomolar concentrations, the retargeted botulinum molecules were able to inhibit stimulated release of hormones from tested cell lines suggesting their application for treatments of neuroendocrine disorders.

SUMO targets the APC/C to regulate transition from metaphase to anaphase.

Signal transduction by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) regulates a myriad of nuclear processes. Here we report on the role of SUMO in mitosis in human cell lines. Knocking down the SUMO conjugation machinery results in a delay in mitosis and defects in mitotic chromosome separation. Searching for relevant SUMOylated proteins in mitosis, we identify the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), a master regulator of metaphase to anaphase transition. The APC4 subunit is the major SUMO target in the complex, containing SUMO acceptor lysines at positions 772 and 798. SUMOylation is crucial for accurate progression of cells through mitosis and increases APC/C ubiquitylation activity toward a subset of its targets, including the newly identified target KIF18B. Combined, our findings demonstrate the importance of SUMO signal transduction for genome integrity during mitotic progression and reveal how SUMO and ubiquitin cooperate to drive mitosis.