MAARS Software for Automatic and Quantitative Analysis of Mitotic Progression.

In this chapter, we describe a software called MAARS (Mitotic Analysis And Recording System) that enables automatic and quantitative analysis of mitotic progression on an open-source platform. This computer-assisted analysis of cell division allows the unbiased acquisition of multiple parameters such as cell shape or size, metaphase or anaphase delays, as well as various mitotic abnormalities. This chapter describes the power of such an expert system to highlight the complexity of the mechanisms required to prevent mitotic chromosome segregation errors, leading to aneuploidy.

Condensin positioning at telomeres by shelterin proteins drives sister-telomere disjunction in anaphase.

The localization of condensin along chromosomes is crucial for their accurate segregation in anaphase. Condensin is enriched at telomeres but how and for what purpose had remained elusive. Here, we show that fission yeast condensin accumulates at telomere repeats through the balancing acts of Taz1, a core component of the shelterin complex that ensures telomeric functions, and Mit1, a nucleosome remodeler associated with shelterin. We further show that condensin takes part in sister-telomere separation in anaphase, and that this event can be uncoupled from the prior separation of chromosome arms, implying a telomere-specific separation mechanism. Consistent with a cis-acting process, increasing or decreasing condensin occupancy specifically at telomeres modifies accordingly the efficiency of their separation in anaphase. Genetic evidence suggests that condensin promotes sister-telomere separation by counteracting cohesin. Thus, our results reveal a shelterin-based mechanism that enriches condensin at telomeres to drive in cis their separation during mitosis.

Aurora B and condensin are dispensable for chromosome arm and telomere separation during meiosis II.

In mitosis, while the importance of kinetochore (KT)-microtubule (MT) attachment has been known for many years, increasing evidence suggests that telomere dysfunctions also perturb chromosome segregation by contributing to the formation of chromatin bridges at anaphase. Recent evidence suggests that Aurora B kinase ensures proper chromosome segregation during mitosis not only by controlling KT-MT attachment but also by regulating telomere and chromosome arm separation. However, whether and how Aurora B governs telomere separation during meiosis has remained unknown. Here, we show that fission yeast Aurora B localizes at telomeres during meiosis I and promotes telomere separation independently of the meiotic cohesin Rec8. In meiosis II, Aurora B controls KT-MT attachment but appears dispensable for telomere and chromosome arm separation. Likewise, condensin activity is nonessential in meiosis II for telomere and chromosome arm separation. Thus, in meiosis, the requirements for Aurora B are distinct at centromeres and telomeres, illustrating the critical differences in the control of chromosome segregation between mitosis and meiosis II.

Splicing Defects of the Profilin Gene Alter Actin Dynamics in an S. pombe SMN Mutant.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating motor neuron disorder caused by mutations in the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene. It remains unclear how SMN deficiency leads to the loss of motor neurons. By screening Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we found that the growth defect of an SMN mutant can be alleviated by deletion of the actin-capping protein subunit gene acp1+. We show that SMN mutated cells have splicing defects in the profilin gene, which thus directly hinder actin cytoskeleton homeostasis including endocytosis and cytokinesis. We conclude that deletion of acp1+ in an SMN mutant background compensates for actin cytoskeleton alterations by restoring redistribution of actin monomers between different types of cellular actin networks. Our data reveal a direct correlation between an impaired function of SMN in snRNP assembly and defects in actin dynamics. They also point to important common features in the pathogenic mechanism of SMA and ALS.

Nuclear envelope attachment of telomeres limits TERRA and telomeric rearrangements in quiescent fission yeast cells.

Telomere anchoring to nuclear envelope (NE) is a key feature of nuclear genome architecture. Peripheral localization of telomeres is important for chromatin silencing, telomere replication and for the control of inappropriate recombination. Here, we report that fission yeast quiescent cells harbor predominantly a single telomeric cluster anchored to the NE. Telomere cluster association to the NE relies on Rap1-Bqt4 interaction, which is impacted by the length of telomeric sequences. In quiescent cells, reducing telomere length or deleting bqt4, both result in an increase in transcription of the telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA). In the absence of Bqt4, telomere shortening leads to deep increase in TERRA level and the concomitant formation of subtelomeric rearrangements (STEEx) that accumulate massively in quiescent cells. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Rap1-Bqt4-dependent telomere association to NE preserves telomere integrity in post-mitotic cells, preventing telomeric transcription and recombination. This defines the nuclear periphery as an area where recombination is restricted, creating a safe zone for telomeres of post-mitotic cells.

MAARS: a novel high-content acquisition software for the analysis of mitotic defects in fission yeast.

Faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division relies on multiple processes such as chromosome attachment and correct spindle positioning. Yet mitotic progression is defined by multiple parameters, which need to be quantitatively evaluated. To study the spatiotemporal control of mitotic progression, we developed a high-content analysis (HCA) approach that combines automated fluorescence microscopy with real-time quantitative image analysis and allows the unbiased acquisition of multiparametric data at the single-cell level for hundreds of cells simultaneously. The Mitotic Analysis and Recording System (MAARS) provides automatic and quantitative single-cell analysis of mitotic progression on an open-source platform. It can be used to analyze specific characteristics such as cell shape, cell size, metaphase/anaphase delays, and mitotic abnormalities including spindle mispositioning, spindle elongation defects, and chromosome segregation defects. Using this HCA approach, we were able to visualize rare and unexpected events of error correction during anaphase in wild-type or mutant cells. Our study illustrates that such an expert system of mitotic progression is able to highlight the complexity of the mechanisms required to prevent chromosome loss during cell division.

Aurora B kinase controls the separation of centromeric and telomeric heterochromatin.

The segregation of chromosomes is coordinated at multiple levels to prevent chromosome loss, a phenotype frequently observed in cancers. We recently described an essential role for telomeres in the physical separation of chromosomes and identified Aurora B kinase as a double agent involved in the separation of centromeric and telomeric heterochromatin.

Cutting edge science: Laser surgery illuminates viscoelasticity of merotelic kinetochores.

Increasing evidence in eukaryotic cells suggests that mechanical forces are essential for building a robust mitotic apparatus and correcting inappropriate chromosome attachments. In this issue, Cojoc et al. (2016. J. Cell Biol., http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201506011) use laser microsurgery in vivo to measure and study the viscoelastic properties of kinetochores.

Fission yeast kinesin-8 controls chromosome congression independently of oscillations.

In higher eukaryotes, efficient chromosome congression relies, among other players, on the activity of chromokinesins. Here, we provide a quantitative analysis of kinetochore oscillations and positioning in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a model organism lacking chromokinesins. In wild-type cells, chromosomes align during prophase and, while oscillating, maintain this alignment throughout metaphase. Chromosome oscillations are dispensable both for kinetochore congression and stable kinetochore alignment during metaphase. In higher eukaryotes, kinesin-8 family members control chromosome congression by regulating their oscillations. By contrast, here, we demonstrate that fission yeast kinesin-8 controls chromosome congression by an alternative mechanism. We propose that kinesin-8 aligns chromosomes by controlling pulling forces in a length-dependent manner. A coarse-grained model of chromosome segregation implemented with a length-dependent process that controls the force at kinetochores is necessary and sufficient to mimic kinetochore alignment, and prevents the appearance of lagging chromosomes. Taken together, these data illustrate how the local action of a motor protein at kinetochores provides spatial cues within the spindle to align chromosomes and to prevent aneuploidy.

RPA prevents G-rich structure formation at lagging-strand telomeres to allow maintenance of chromosome ends.

Replication protein A (RPA) is a highly conserved heterotrimeric single-stranded DNA-binding protein involved in DNA replication, recombination, and repair. In fission yeast, the Rpa1-D223Y mutation provokes telomere shortening. Here, we show that this mutation impairs lagging-strand telomere replication and leads to the accumulation of secondary structures and recruitment of the homologous recombination factor Rad52. The presence of these secondary DNA structures correlates with reduced association of shelterin subunits Pot1 and Ccq1 at telomeres. Strikingly, heterologous expression of the budding yeast Pif1 known to efficiently unwind G-quadruplex rescues all the telomeric defects of the D223Y cells. Furthermore, in vitro data show that the identical D to Y mutation in human RPA specifically affects its ability to bind G-quadruplex. We propose that RPA prevents the formation of G-quadruplex structures at lagging-strand telomeres to promote shelterin association and facilitate telomerase action at telomeres.

Aurora B prevents chromosome arm separation defects by promoting telomere dispersion and disjunction.

The segregation of centromeres and telomeres at mitosis is coordinated at multiple levels to prevent the formation of aneuploid cells, a phenotype frequently observed in cancer. Mitotic instability arises from chromosome segregation defects, giving rise to chromatin bridges at anaphase. Most of these defects are corrected before anaphase onset by a mechanism involving Aurora B kinase, a key regulator of mitosis in a wide range of organisms. Here, we describe a new role for Aurora B in telomere dispersion and disjunction during fission yeast mitosis. Telomere dispersion initiates in metaphase, whereas disjunction takes place in anaphase. Dispersion is promoted by the dissociation of Swi6/HP1 and cohesin Rad21 from telomeres, whereas disjunction occurs at anaphase after the phosphorylation of condensin subunit Cnd2. Strikingly, we demonstrate that deletion of Ccq1, a telomeric shelterin component, rescued cell death after Aurora inhibition by promoting the loading of condensin on chromosome arms. Our findings reveal an essential role for telomeres in chromosome arm segregation.

A stochastic model of kinetochore-microtubule attachment accurately describes fission yeast chromosome segregation.

In fission yeast, erroneous attachments of spindle microtubules to kinetochores are frequent in early mitosis. Most are corrected before anaphase onset by a mechanism involving the protein kinase Aurora B, which destabilizes kinetochore microtubules (ktMTs) in the absence of tension between sister chromatids. In this paper, we describe a minimal mathematical model of fission yeast chromosome segregation based on the stochastic attachment and detachment of ktMTs. The model accurately reproduces the timing of correct chromosome biorientation and segregation seen in fission yeast. Prevention of attachment defects requires both appropriate kinetochore orientation and an Aurora B-like activity. The model also reproduces abnormal chromosome segregation behavior (caused by, for example, inhibition of Aurora B). It predicts that, in metaphase, merotelic attachment is prevented by a kinetochore orientation effect and corrected by an Aurora B-like activity, whereas in anaphase, it is corrected through unbalanced forces applied to the kinetochore. These unbalanced forces are sufficient to prevent aneuploidy.

A non-ring-like form of the Dam1 complex modulates microtubule dynamics in fission yeast.

The Dam1 complex is a kinetochore component that couples chromosomes to the dynamic ends of kinetochore microtubules (kMTs). Work in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has shown that the Dam1 complex forms a 16-unit ring encircling and tracking the tip of a MT in vitro, consistent with its cellular function as a coupler. Dam1 also forms smaller, nonring patches in vitro that track the dynamic ends of MTs. However, the identity of Dam1's functional form in vivo remains unknown. Here we report a comprehensive in vivo characterization of Dam1 in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In addition to their dense localizations on kinetochores and spindle MTs during mitosis, we identify that Dam1 is also localized onto cytoplasmic MTs as discrete spots in interphase, providing the unique opportunity to analyze Dam1 oligomers at the single-particle resolution in live cells. Such analysis shows that each oligomer contains one to five copies of Dam1, and is able to "switch-rail" while moving along MTs, precluding the possibility of a 16-unit encircling structure. Dam1 patches track the plus ends of the shortening, but not the elongating, MTs and retard MT depolymerization. Together with Mal3, the EB1-like MT-interacting protein, cytoplasmic Dam1 plays an important role in maintaining proper cell shape. In mitosis, kinetochore-associated Dam1 appears to facilitate kMT depolymerization. Together, our findings suggest that patches, instead of rings, are the physiologically functional forms of Dam1 in pombe. Our findings help establish the benchmark parameters of the Dam1 coupler and elucidate the mechanism of its functions.

Tip1/CLIP-170 protein is required for correct chromosome poleward movement in fission yeast.

The plus-end microtubule binding proteins (+TIPs) play an important role in the regulation of microtubule stability and cell polarity during interphase. In S. pombe, the CLIP-170 like protein Tip1, together with the kinesin Tea2, moves along the microtubules towards their plus ends. Tip1 also requires the EB1 homolog Mal3 to localize to the microtubule tips. Given the requirement for Tip1 for microtubule stability, we have investigated its role during spindle morphogenesis and chromosome movement. Loss of Tip1 affects metaphase plate formation and leads to the activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint. In the absence of Tip1 we also observed the appearance of lagging chromosomes, which do not influence the normal rate of spindle elongation. Our results suggest that S. pombe Tip1/CLIP170 is directly or indirectly required for correct chromosome poleward movement independently of Mal3/EB1.

Ase1/Prc1-dependent spindle elongation corrects merotely during anaphase in fission yeast.

Faithful segregation of sister chromatids requires the attachment of each kinetochore (Kt) to microtubules (MTs) that extend from opposite spindle poles. Merotelic Kt orientation is a Kt-MT misattachment in which a single Kt binds MTs from both spindle poles rather than just one. Genetic induction of merotelic Kt attachment during anaphase in fission yeast resulted in intra-Kt stretching followed by either correction or Kt disruption. Laser ablation of spindle MTs revealed that intra-Kt stretching and merotelic correction were dependent on MT forces. The presence of multiple merotelic chromosomes linearly antagonized the spindle elongation rate, and this phenomenon could be solved numerically using a simple force balance model. Based on the predictions of our mechanical model, we provide in vivo evidence that correction of merotelic attachment in anaphase is tension dependent and requires an Ase1/Prc1-dependent mechanism that prevents spindle collapse and thus asymmetric division and/or the appearance of the cut phenotype.

The dynamin related protein Dnm1 fragments mitochondria in a microtubule-dependent manner during the fission yeast cell cycle.

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that undergo cycles of fission and fusion. In the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, mitochondria align with microtubules and mitochondrial integrity is dependent upon an intact microtubule cytoskeleton. Here we show that mitochondria re-organize during the cell cycle and that this process is both dynamin- and microtubule-dependent. Microtubule depolymerization results in mitochondrial fragmentation but only when the dynamin-related protein Dnm1 is present. Mitochondrial fusion is, on the other hand, microtubule-independent. dnm1Delta cells, besides showing extensively fused mitochondria, are specifically resistant to anti-microtubule drugs. Dnm1-YFP localizes to foci at sites of mitochondrial severing which occupy the interface between adjacent nucleoids, suggesting the existence of defined mitochondrial "territories," each of which contains a nucleoid. Such territories are lost in dnm1Delta in which nucleoids become aggregated. Mitochondrial ends exhibit motile behavior, extending towards and retracting from the cell poles, independently of the cytoskeleton. We conclude that: (a) mitochondria are organized by microtubules in fission yeast but are not moved by them; (b) Dnm1 mediates mitochondrial fission during interphasic growth and at cell division; (c) the interaction between microtubules and mitochondria, either directly or indirectly via Dnm1, not only modifies the disposition of mitochondria it also modifies the behavior of microtubules. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Sister kinetochore recapture in fission yeast occurs by two distinct mechanisms, both requiring Dam1 and Klp2.

In eukaryotic cells, proper formation of the spindle is necessary for successful cell division. We have studied chromosome recapture in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We show by live cell analysis that lost kinetochores interact laterally with intranuclear microtubules (INMs) and that both microtubule depolymerization (end-on pulling) and minus-end-directed movement (microtubule sliding) contribute to chromosome retrieval to the spindle pole body (SPB). We find that the minus-end-directed motor Klp2 colocalizes with the kinetochore during its transport to the SPB and contributes to the effectiveness of retrieval by affecting both end-on pulling and lateral sliding. Furthermore, we provide in vivo evidence that Dam1, a component of the DASH complex, also colocalizes with the kinetochore during its transport and is essential for its retrieval by either of these mechanisms. Finally, we find that the position of the unattached kinetochore correlates with the size and orientation of the INMs, suggesting that chromosome recapture may not be a random process.

Lost your orientation? Find your way with PtdIns(3,4,5)P3!

Faithful chromosome segregation requires correct positioning of the spindle during mitosis. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Toyoshima et al. describe a new mechanism for spindle orientation involving phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate [PtdIns(3,4,5)P3]. They found that in metaphase cells, dynactin was associated with the cortex through the actin cytoskeleton, and accumulated in the midsections in a PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-dependent manner. Thus, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 regulates spindle orientation through dynein-dynactin motor complexes.

Dynein participates in chromosome segregation in fission yeast.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: In eukaryotic cells, proper formation of the spindle is necessary for successful cell division. For faithful segregation of sister chromatids, each sister kinetochore must attach to microtubules that extend to opposite poles (chromosome bi-orientation). At the metaphase-anaphase transition, cohesion between sister chromatids is removed, and each sister chromatid is pulled to opposite poles of the cell by microtubule-dependent forces. RESULTS: We have studied the role of the minus-end-directed motor protein dynein by analysing kinetochore dynamics in fission yeast cells deleted for the dynein heavy chain (Dhc1) or the light chain (Dlc1). In these mutants, we found an increased frequency of cells showing defects in chromosome segregation, which leads to the appearance of lagging chromosomes and an increased rate of chromosome loss. By following simultaneously kinetochore dynamics and localization of the checkpoint protein Mad2, we provide evidence that dynein function is not necessary for spindle-assembly checkpoint inactivation. Instead, we have demonstrated that loss of dynein function alters chromosome segregation and activates the Mad2-dependent spindle-assembly checkpoint. CONCLUSIONS: These results show an unexpected role for dynein in the control of chromosome segregation in fission yeast, most probably operating during the process of bi-orientation during early mitosis.

The fission yeast spindle orientation checkpoint: a model that generates tension?

In all eukaryotes, the alignment of the mitotic spindle with the axis of cell polarity is essential for accurate chromosome segregation as well as for the establishment of cell fate, and thus morphogenesis, during development. Studies in invertebrates, higher eukaryotes and yeast suggest that astral microtubules interact with the cell cortex to position the spindle. These microtubules are thought to impose pushing or pulling forces on the spindle poles to affect the rotation or movement of the spindle. In the fission yeast model, where cell division is symmetrical, spindle rotation is dependent on the interaction of astral microtubules with the cortical actin cytoskeleton. In these cells, a bub1-dependent mitotic checkpoint, the spindle orientation checkpoint (SOC), is activated when the spindles fail to align with the cell polarity axis. In this paper we review the mechanism that orientates the spindle during mitosis in fission yeast, and discuss the consequences of misorientation on metaphase progression.