Comparative Analysis of Cytokinesis in Budding Yeast, Fission Yeast and Animal Cells

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Cytokinetic Events in Fission Yeast

Cytokinesis, the final step in cell division is critical for maintaining genome integrity. Proper cytokinesis is important for cell differentiation and development. Cytokinesis involves a series of events that are well coordinated in time and space. Cytokinesis involves the formation of an actomyosin ring at the division site, followed by ring constriction, membrane furrow formation and extra cellular matrix remodeling. The fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) is a well-studied model system that has revealed with substantial clarity the initial events in cytokinesis. However, we do not understand clearly how different cytokinetic events are coordinated spatiotemporally. To determine this, one needs to analyze the different cytokinetic events in great details in both time and in space. Here we describe a microscopy approach to examine different cytokinetic events in live cells. With this approach it is possible to time different cytokinetic events and determine the time of recruitment of different proteins during cytokinesis. In addition, we describe protocols to compare protein localization, and distribution at the site of cell division. This is a basic protocol to study cytokinesis in fission yeast and can also be used for other yeasts and fungal systems.

The septin-associated kinase Gin4 recruits Gps1 to the site of cell division

Gps1 is a regulator of Rho GTPases during cell division. Cell cycle–regulated recruitment of Gps1 to the cell division site is under control of the conserved kinase Gin4 and the bud neck–associated protein Nba1. This biphasic recruitment is required for the spatiotemporal activation of Rho1 and inhibition of Cdc42.

Cell cycle–dependent morphogenesis of unicellular organisms depends on the spatiotemporal control of cell polarity. Rho GTPases are the major players that guide cells through structural reorganizations such as cytokinesis (Rho1 dependent) and polarity establishment (Cdc42 dependent). In budding yeast, the protein Gps1 plays a pivotal role in both processes. Gps1 resides at the bud neck to maintain Rho1 localization and restrict Cdc42 activity during cytokinesis. Here we analyze how Gps1 is recruited to the bud neck during the cell cycle. We show that different regions of Gps1 and the septin-associated kinase Gin4 are involved in maintaining Gps1 at the bud neck from late G1 phase until midanaphase. From midanaphase, the targeting function of Gin4 is taken over by the bud neck–associated protein Nba1. Our data show that Gps1 is targeted to the cell division site in a biphasic manner, via Gin4 and Nba1, to control the spatiotemporal activation of Rho1 and inhibition of Cdc42.

Mechanisms of Cytokinesis in Basidiomycetous Yeasts

While mechanisms of cytokinesis exhibit considerable plasticity, it is difficult to precisely define the level of conservation of this essential part of cell division in fungi, as majority of our knowledge is based on ascomycetous yeasts. However, in the last decade more details have been uncovered regarding cytokinesis in the second largest fungal phylum, basidiomycetes, specifically in two yeasts, Cryptococcus neoformans and Ustilago maydis. Based on these findings, and current sequenced genomes, we summarize cytokinesis in basidiomycetous yeasts, indicating features that may be unique to this phylum, species-specific characteristics, as well as mechanisms that may be common to all eukaryotes.

Studying the Role of the Mitotic Exit Network in Cytokinesis

In budding yeast cells, cytokinesis is achieved by the successful division of the cytoplasm into two daughter cells, but the precise mechanisms of cell division and its regulation are still rather poorly understood. The Mitotic Exit Network (MEN) is the signaling cascade that is responsible for the release of Cdc14 phosphatase leading to the inactivation of the kinase activity associated to cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), which drives exit from mitosis and a rapid and efficient cytokinesis. Mitotic CDK impairs the activation of MEN before anaphase, and activation of MEN in anaphase leads to the inactivation of CDK, which presents a challenge to determine the contribution that each pathway makes to the successful onset of cytokinesis. To determine CDK and MEN contribution to cytokinesis irrespectively of each other, here we present methods to induce cytokinesis after the inactivation of CDK activity in temperature sensitive mutants of the MEN pathway. An array of methods to monitor the cellular events associated with the successful cytokinesis is included.

Mechanics and regulation of cytokinesis in budding yeast

Cytokinesis is essential for the survival of all organisms. It requires concerted functions of cell signaling, force production, exocytosis, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Due to the conservation in core components and mechanisms between fungal and animal cells, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has served as an attractive model for studying this fundamental process. In this review, we discuss the mechanics and regulation of distinct events of cytokinesis in budding yeast, including the assembly, constriction, and disassembly of the actomyosin ring, septum formation, abscission, and their spatiotemporal coordination. We also highlight the key concepts and questions that are common to animal and fungal cytokinesis.

Septin7 regulates inner ear formation at an early developmental stage

Septins are guanosine triphosphate-binding proteins that are evolutionally conserved in all eukaryotes other than plants. They function as multimeric complexes that interact with membrane lipids, actomyosin, and microtubules. Based on these interactions, septins play essential roles in the morphogenesis and physiological functions of many mammalian cell types including the regulation of microtubule stability, vesicle trafficking, cortical rigidity, planar cell polarity, and apoptosis. The inner ear, which perceives auditory and equilibrium sensation with highly differentiated hair cells, has a complicated gross morphology. Furthermore, its development including morphogenesis is dependent on various molecular mechanisms, such as apoptosis, convergent extension, and cell fate determination. To determine the roles of septins in the development of the inner ear, we specifically deleted Septin7 (Sept7), the non-redundant subunit in the canonical septin complex, in the inner ear at different times during development. Foxg1Cre-mediated deletion of Sept7, which achieved the complete knockout of Sept7 within the inner ear at E9.5, caused cystic malformation of inner ears and a reduced numbers of sensory epithelial cells despite the existence of mature hair cells. Excessive apoptosis was observed at E10.5,E11.5 and E12.5 in all inner ear epithelial cells and at E10.5 and E11.5 in prosensory epithelial cells of the inner ears of Foxg1Cre;Septin7^{floxed/floxed} mice. In contrast with apoptosis, cell proliferation in the inner ear did not significantly change between control and mutant mice. Deletion of Sept7 within the cochlea at a later stage (around E15.5) with Emx2Cre did not result in any apparent morphological anomalies observed in Foxg1Cre;Septin7^{floxed/floxed} mice. These results suggest that SEPT7 regulates gross morphogenesis of the inner ear and maintains the size of the inner ear sensory epithelial area and exerts its effects at an early developmental stage of the inner ear.

Cytokinesis: Going Super-Resolution in Live Cells

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy has emerged as a powerful tool for studying molecular organization, but mostly in fixed cells. New work using high-speed fluorescence photoactivation localization microscopy now reveals the organization of cytokinesis nodes and contractile rings in live fission yeast cells.

Internetwork competition for monomers governs actin cytoskeleton organization

Cells precisely control the formation of dynamic actin cytoskeleton networks to coordinate fundamental processes, including motility, division, endocytosis and polarization. To support these functions, actin filament networks must be assembled, maintained and disassembled at the correct time and place, and with proper filament organization and dynamics. Regulation of the extent of filament network assembly and of filament network organization has been largely attributed to the coordinated activation of actin assembly factors through signalling cascades. Here, we discuss an intriguing model in which actin monomer availability is limiting and competition between homeostatic actin cytoskeletal networks for actin monomers is an additional crucial regulatory mechanism that influences the density and size of different actin networks, thereby contributing to the organization of the cellular actin cytoskeleton.

Investigation of the role of four mitotic septins and chitin synthase 2 for cytokinesis in Kluyveromyces lactis

Septins are key components of the cell division machinery from yeast to humans. The model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has five mitotic septins, Cdc3, Cdc10, Cdc11, Cdc12, and Shs1. Here we characterized the five orthologs from the genetically less-redundant milk yeast Kluyveromyces lactis. We found that except for KlSHS1 all septin genes are essential. Klshs1 deletions displayed temperature-sensitive growth and morphological defects. Heterologous complementation analyses revealed that all five K. lactis genes encode functional orthologs of their S. cerevisiae counterparts. Fluorophore-tagged versions of the K. lactis septins localized to a ring at the incipient bud site and split into two separate rings at the bud neck later in cytokinesis. One of the key proteins recruited to the bud neck by septins in S. cerevisiae is the chitin synthase Chs2, which synthesizes the primary septum. KlCHS2 was found to be essential and deletions showed cytokinetic defects upon spore germination. KlChs2-GFP also localized to the bud neck and to punctate structures in K. lactis. We conclude that cytokinesis in K. lactis is similar to S. cerevisiae and chimeric septin complexes are fully functional in both yeasts. In contrast to some S. cerevisiae strains, KlChs2 and KlCdc10 were found to be essential.

Roles of the novel coiled-coil protein Rng10 in septum formation during fission yeast cytokinesis

The regulation of Rho-GAP localization is not well understood. A novel coiled-coil protein Rng10 is characterized that localizes the Rho-GAP Rga7 in fission yeast. Rng10 and Rga7 physically interact and work together to regulate the accumulation and dynamics of glucan synthases for successful septum formation during cytokinesis.

Rho GAPs are important regulators of Rho GTPases, which are involved in various steps of cytokinesis and other processes. However, regulation of Rho-GAP cellular localization and function is not fully understood. Here we report the characterization of a novel coiled-coil protein Rng10 and its relationship with the Rho-GAP Rga7 in fission yeast. Both rng10Δ and rga7Δ result in defective septum and cell lysis during cytokinesis. Rng10 and Rga7 colocalize on the plasma membrane at the cell tips during interphase and at the division site during cell division. Rng10 physically interacts with Rga7 in affinity purification and coimmunoprecipitation. Of interest, Rga7 localization is nearly abolished without Rng10. Moreover, Rng10 and Rga7 work together to regulate the accumulation and dynamics of glucan synthases for successful septum formation in cytokinesis. Our results show that cellular localization and function of the Rho-GAP Rga7 are regulated by a novel protein, Rng10, during cytokinesis in fission yeast.

Analysis of protein dynamics during cytokinesis in budding yeast

Cytokinesis is essential for development and survival of all organisms by increasing cell number and diversity. It is a highly regulated process that requires spatiotemporal coordination of hundreds of proteins functioning in the assembly, constriction, and disassembly of a contractile actomyosin ring, targeted vesicle fusion, and localized extracellular matrix remodeling. Cytokinesis has been studied in multiple systems with a wide range of technologies to learn the common principles. In this chapter, we describe the analysis of protein dynamics during cytokinesis in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by several live-cell imaging methods. This, in combination with the power of yeast genetics, has yielded novel insights into the mechanism of cytokinesis. Similar approaches are increasingly used to study this fundamental process in more complex systems.

Overview of fission yeast septation

Cytokinesis is the final process of the vegetative cycle, which divides a cell into two independent daughter cells once mitosis is completed. In fungi, as in animal cells, cytokinesis requires the formation of a cleavage furrow originated by constriction of an actomyosin ring which is connected to the plasma membrane and causes its invagination. Additionally, because fungal cells have a polysaccharide cell wall outside the plasma membrane, cytokinesis requires the formation of a septum coincident with the membrane ingression. Fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a unicellular, rod-shaped fungus that has become a popular model organism for the study of actomyosin ring formation and constriction during cell division. Here we review the current knowledge of the septation and separation processes in this fungus, as well as recent advances in understanding the functional interaction between the transmembrane enzymes that build the septum and the actomyosin ring proteins.

Timely Closure of the Prospore Membrane Requires SPS1 and SPO77 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

During sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a double lipid bilayer called the prospore membrane is formed de novo, growing around each meiotic nucleus and ultimately closing to create four new cells within the mother cell. Here we show that SPS1, which encodes a kinase belonging to the germinal center kinase III family, is involved in prospore membrane development and is required for prospore membrane closure. We find that SPS1 genetically interacts with SPO77 and see that loss of either gene disrupts prospore membrane closure in a similar fashion. Specifically, cells lacking SPS1 and SPO77 produce hyperelongated prospore membranes from which the leading edge protein complex is not removed from the prospore membrane in a timely fashion. The SPS1/SPO77 pathway is required for the proper phosphorylation and stability of Ssp1, a member of the leading edge protein complex that is removed and degraded when the prospore membrane closes. Genetic dissection of prospore membrane closure finds SPS1 and SPO77 act in parallel to a previously described pathway of prospore membrane closure that involves AMA1, an activator of the meiotic anaphase promoting complex.

The DenA/DEN1 Interacting Phosphatase DipA Controls Septa Positioning and Phosphorylation-Dependent Stability of Cytoplasmatic DenA/DEN1 during Fungal Development

DenA/DEN1 and the COP9 signalosome (CSN) represent two deneddylases which remove the ubiquitin-like Nedd8 from modified target proteins and are required for distinct fungal developmental programmes. The cellular DenA/DEN1 population is divided into a nuclear and a cytoplasmatic subpopulation which is especially enriched at septa. DenA/DEN1 stability control mechanisms are different for the two cellular subpopulations and depend on different physical interacting proteins and the C-terminal DenA/DEN1 phosphorylation pattern. Nuclear DenA/DEN1 is destabilized during fungal development by five of the eight CSN subunits which target nuclear DenA/DEN1 for degradation. DenA/DEN1 becomes stabilized as a phosphoprotein at S243/S245 during vegetative growth, which is necessary to support further asexual development. After the initial phase of development, the newly identified cytoplasmatic DenA/DEN1 interacting phosphatase DipA and an additional developmental specific C-terminal phosphorylation site at serine S253 destabilize DenA/DEN1. Outside of the nucleus, DipA is co-transported with DenA/DEN1 in the cytoplasm between septa and nuclei. Deletion of dipA resulted in increased DenA/DEN1 stability in a strain which is unresponsive to illumination. The mutant strain is dysregulated in cytokinesis and impaired in asexual development. Our results suggest a dual phosphorylation-dependent DenA/DEN1 stability control with stabilizing and destabilizing modifications and physical interaction partner proteins which function as control points in the nucleus and the cytoplasm.

Ingression Progression Complexes Control Extracellular Matrix Remodelling during Cytokinesis in Budding Yeast

Eukaryotic cells must coordinate contraction of the actomyosin ring at the division site together with ingression of the plasma membrane and remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) to support cytokinesis, but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. In eukaryotes, glycosyltransferases that synthesise ECM polysaccharides are emerging as key factors during cytokinesis. The budding yeast chitin synthase Chs2 makes the primary septum, a special layer of the ECM, which is an essential process during cell division. Here we isolated a group of actomyosin ring components that form complexes together with Chs2 at the cleavage site at the end of the cell cycle, which we named ‘ingression progression complexes’ (IPCs). In addition to type II myosin, the IQGAP protein Iqg1 and Chs2, IPCs contain the F-BAR protein Hof1, and the cytokinesis regulators Inn1 and Cyk3. We describe the molecular mechanism by which chitin synthase is activated by direct association of the C2 domain of Inn1, and the transglutaminase-like domain of Cyk3, with the catalytic domain of Chs2. We used an experimental system to find a previously unanticipated role for the C-terminus of Inn1 in preventing the untimely activation of Chs2 at the cleavage site until Cyk3 releases the block on Chs2 activity during late mitosis. These findings support a model for the co-ordinated regulation of cell division in budding yeast, in which IPCs play a central role.

Cytokinesis is the process by which a cell divides in two and occurs once cells have replicated and segregated their chromosomes. Eukaryotic cells assemble a molecular machine called the actomyosin ring that drives cytokinesis. Contraction of the actomyosin ring is coupled to ingression of the plasma membrane and extracellular matrix remodelling. In eukaryotes, glycosyltransferases that synthesise polysaccharides of the extracellular matrix are emerging as essential factors during cytokinesis. Defects associated with the function of those glycosyltransferases induce the failure of cell division, which promotes the formation of genetically unstable tetraploid cells. Budding yeast cells contain a glycosyltransferase called Chs2 that makes a special layer of extracellular matrix and is essential during cell division. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanism by which the cytokinesis regulators Inn1 and Cyk3 finely regulate the activity of glycosyltransferase Chs2 at the end of mitosis. In addition we isolated a group of actomyosin ring components that form complexes together with Chs2 and Inn1 at the cleavage site, which we have named ‘ingression progression complexes’. These complexes coordinate the contraction of the actomyosin ring, ingression of the plasma membrane and extracellular matrix remodelling in a precise manner. Chs2 is indeed a key factor for coordinating these events. It appears that similar principles could apply to other eukaryotic species, such as fission yeast even if the identity of the relevant glycosyltransferase has changed over the evolution. Taking into account the conservation of the basic cytokinetic mechanisms future studies should try to determine whether a glycosyltransferase similar to Chs2 plays a key role during cytokinesis in human cells.

Actomyosin ring driven cytokinesis in budding yeast

Cytokinesis is the final process in the cell cycle that physically divides one cell into two. In budding yeast, cytokinesis is driven by a contractile actomyosin ring (AMR) and the simultaneous formation of a primary septum, which serves as template for cell wall deposition. AMR assembly, constriction, primary septum formation and cell wall deposition are successive processes and tightly coupled to cell cycle progression to ensure the correct distribution of genetic material and cell organelles among the two rising cells prior to cell division. The role of the AMR in cytokinesis and the molecular mechanisms that drive AMR constriction and septation are the focus of current research. This review summarizes the recent progresses in our understanding of how budding yeast cells orchestrate the multitude of molecular mechanisms that control AMR driven cytokinesis in a spatio-temporal manner to achieve an error free cell division.

Time-Lapse Fluorescence Microscopy of Budding Yeast Cells

The discovery of green fluorescent protein (GFP) allowed visualization of a wide variety of processes within living cells. Thanks to the development of differently colored fluorophores, it is now possible to simultaneously follow distinct subcellular events at the single cell level. Here, we describe a basic method to visualize multiple events during cytokinesis by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this organism, contraction of an actomyosin-based ring drives ingression of the plasma membrane at the mother-bud division site to partition the cytoplasm of the dividing cell. Simultaneous visualization of distinct cytokinesis steps in living cells, such as ring contraction and membrane ingression, will facilitate a complete understanding of the mechanisms of eukaryotic cell division.

In Vitro Biochemical Characterization of Cytokinesis Actin-Binding Proteins

Characterizing the biochemical and biophysical properties of purified proteins is critical to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms that facilitate complicated cellular processes such as cytokinesis. Here we outline in vitro assays to investigate the effects of cytokinesis actin-binding proteins on actin filament dynamics and organization. We describe (1) multicolor single-molecule TIRF microscopy actin assembly assays, (2) "bulk" pyrene actin assembly/disassembly assays, and (3) "bulk" sedimentation actin filament binding and bundling assays.

Cytokinesis: Robust cell shape regulation

Cytokinesis, the final step of cell division, is a great example of robust cell shape regulation. A wide variety of cells ranging from the unicellular Dictyostelium to human cells in tissues proceed through highly similar, stereotypical cell shape changes during cell division. Typically, cells first round up forming a cleavage furrow in the middle, which constricts resulting in the formation of two daughter cells. Tight control of cytokinesis is essential for proper segregation of genetic and cellular materials, and its failure is deleterious to cell viability. Thus, biological systems have developed elaborate mechanisms to ensure high fidelity of cytokinesis, including the existence of multiple biochemical and mechanical pathways regulated through feedback. In this review, we focus on the built-in redundancy of the cytoskeletal machinery that allows cells to divide successfully in a variety of biological and mechanical contexts. Using Dictyostelium cytokinesis as an example, we demonstrate that the crosstalk between biochemical and mechanical signaling through feedback ensures correct assembly and function of the cell division machinery.

Identification of a Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase Affecting Cardiotoxicity of Sunitinib Using a Genome-Wide Screening on S. pombe Deletion Library

Drug toxicity is a key issue for drug R&D, a fundamental challenge of which is to screen for the targets genome-wide. The anticancer tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib is known to induce cardiotoxicity. Here, to understand the molecular insights of cardiotoxicity by sunitinib at the genome level, we used a genome-wide drug target screening technology (GPScreen) that measures drug-induced haploinsufficiency (DIH) in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome-wide deletion library and found a mitochondrial DNA polymerase (POG1). In the results, sunitinib induced more severe cytotoxicity and mitochondrial damage in POG1-deleted heterozygous mutants compared to wild type (WT) of S. pombe. Furthermore, knockdown of the human ortholog POLG of S. pombe POG1 in human cells significantly increased the cytotoxicity of sunitinib. Notably, sunitinib dramatically decreased the levels of POLG mRNAs and proteins, of which downregulation was already known to induce mitochondrial damage of cardiomyocytes, causing cardiotoxicity. These results indicate that POLG might play a crucial role in mitochondrial damage as a gene of which expressional pathway is targeted by sunitinib for cardiotoxicity, and that genome-wide drug target screening with GPScreen can be applied to drug toxicity target discovery to understand the molecular insights regarding drug toxicity.

Cooperation between Paxillin-like Protein Pxl1 and Glucan Synthase Bgs1 Is Essential for Actomyosin Ring Stability and Septum Formation in Fission Yeast

In fungal cells cytokinesis requires coordinated closure of a contractile actomyosin ring (CAR) and synthesis of a special cell wall structure known as the division septum. Many CAR proteins have been identified and characterized, but how these molecules interact with the septum synthesis enzymes to form the septum remains unclear. Our genetic study using fission yeast shows that cooperation between the paxillin homolog Pxl1, required for ring integrity, and Bgs1, the enzyme responsible for linear β(1,3)glucan synthesis and primary septum formation, is required for stable anchorage of the CAR to the plasma membrane before septation onset, and for cleavage furrow formation. Thus, lack of Pxl1 in combination with Bgs1 depletion, causes failure of ring contraction and lateral cell wall overgrowth towards the cell lumen without septum formation. We also describe here that Pxl1 concentration at the CAR increases during cytokinesis and that this increase depends on the SH3 domain of the F-BAR protein Cdc15. In consequence, Bgs1 depletion in cells carrying a cdc15_ΔSH3 allele causes ring disassembly and septation blockage, as it does in cells lacking Pxl1. On the other hand, the absence of Pxl1 is lethal when Cdc15 function is affected, generating a large sliding of the CAR with deposition of septum wall material along the cell cortex, and suggesting additional functions for both Pxl1 and Cdc15 proteins. In conclusion, our findings indicate that CAR anchorage to the plasma membrane through Cdc15 and Pxl1, and concomitant Bgs1 activity, are necessary for CAR maintenance and septum formation in fission yeast.

Cytokinesis requires assembly of an actomyosin ring adjacent to the plasma membrane, which upon contraction pulls the membrane to form a cleavage furrow. In fungi ring closure is coordinated with the synthesis of a cell wall septum. Knowledge about the molecules anchoring the ring to the membrane is very limited. We have found that fission yeast paxillin, located at the ring, and Bgs1, the enzyme responsible for primary septum formation, located at the membrane, cooperate during cytokinesis. Both are required to anchor the ring to the membrane and to maintain it during cytokinesis. Moreover, both proteins cooperate to form the septum. Accordingly, paxillin is essential when Bgs1 is depleted. When both proteins are missing, the contractile ring forms but the lateral cell wall overgrows inwards without a defined cleavage furrow and septum formation. During cytokinesis there is an increase of paxillin which depends on the SH3 domain of the F-BAR protein Cdc15. Consequently the absence of this domain mimics the phenotype of paxillin absence in Bgs1-depleted cells. Interestingly, a decreased function of both Cdc15 and paxillin uncouples the septum synthesis from the ring contraction, indicating an essential cooperation between these proteins and Bgs1 for proper cytokinesis.

Sep(t)arate or not – how some cells take septin-independent routes through cytokinesis

Cytokinesis is the final step of cell division, and is a process that requires a precisely coordinated molecular machinery to fully separate the cytoplasm of the parent cell and to establish the intact outer cell barrier of the daughter cells. Among various cytoskeletal proteins involved, septins are known to be essential mediators of cytokinesis. In this Commentary, we present recent observations that specific cell divisions can proceed in the absence of the core mammalian septin SEPT7 and its Drosophila homolog Peanut (Pnut) and that thus challenge the view that septins have an essential role in cytokinesis. In the pnut mutant neuroepithelium, orthogonal cell divisions are successfully completed. Similarly, in the mouse, Sept7-null mutant early embryonic cells and, more importantly, planktonically growing adult hematopoietic cells undergo productive proliferation. Hence, as discussed here, mechanisms must exist that compensate for the lack of SEPT7 and the other core septins in a cell-type-specific manner. Despite there being crucial non-canonical immune-relevant functions of septins, septin depletion is well tolerated by the hematopoietic system. Thus differential targeting of cytokinesis could form the basis for more specific anti-proliferative therapies to combat malignancies arising from cell types that require septins for cytokinesis, such as carcinomas and sarcomas, without impairing hematopoiesis that is less dependent on septin.

A mutation in the converter subdomain of Aspergillus nidulans MyoB blocks constriction of the actomyosin ring in cytokinesis

We have identified a mutant allele of the Aspergillus nidulans homologue of myosin II (myoB; AN4706), which prevents normal septum formation. This is the first reported myosin II mutation in a filamentous fungus. Strains expressing the myoB(G843D) allele produce mainly aberrant septa at 30 °C and are completely aseptate at temperatures above 37 °C. Conidium formation is greatly reduced at 30 °C and progressively impaired with increasing temperature. Sequencing of the myoB(G843D) allele identified a point mutation predicted to result in a glycine-to-aspartate amino acid substitution at residue 843 in the myosin II converter domain. This residue is conserved in all fungal, plant, and animal myosin sequences that we have examined. The mutation does not prevent localization of the myoB(G843D) gene product to contractile rings, but it does block ring constriction. MyoB(G843D) rings at sites of abortive septation disassemble after an extended period and dissipate into the cytoplasm. During contractile ring formation, both wild type and mutant MyoB::GFP colocalize with actin--an association that begins at the pre-ring "string" stage. Down-regulation of wild-type myoB expression under control of the alcA promoter blocks septation but does not prevent actin from aggregating at putative septation sites--the actin rings, however, do not fully coalesce. Both septation and targeting of MyoB are blocked by disruption of filamentous actin using latrunculin B. We propose a model in which myosin assembly at septation sites depends upon the presence of F-actin, but assembly of the actin component of contractile rings depends upon normal levels of myosin only for the final stages of ring compaction.

Myosin‑II heavy chain and formin mediate the targeting of myosin essential light chain to the division site before and during cytokinesis

MLC1 is a haploinsufficient gene encoding the essential light chain for Myo1, the sole myosin‑II heavy chain in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mlc1 defines an essential hub that coordinates actomyosin ring function, membrane trafficking, and septum formation during cytokinesis by binding to IQGAP, myosin‑II, and myosin‑V. However, the mechanism of how Mlc1 is targeted to the division site during the cell cycle remains unsolved. By constructing a GFP‑tagged MLC1 under its own promoter control and using quantitative live‑cell imaging coupled with yeast mutants, we found that septin ring and actin filaments mediate the targeting of Mlc1 to the division site before and during cytokinesis, respectively. Both mechanisms contribute to and are collectively required for the accumulation of Mlc1 at the division site during cytokinesis. We also found that Myo1 plays a major role in the septin‑dependent Mlc1 localization before cytokinesis, whereas the formin Bni1 plays a major role in the actin filament-dependent Mlc1 localization during cytokinesis. Such a two‑tiered mechanism for Mlc1 localization is presumably required for the ordered assembly and robustness of cytokinesis machinery and is likely conserved across species.

Regulation of Rho-GEF Rgf3 by the arrestin Art1 in fission yeast cytokinesis

The arrestin Art1 and the Rho1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor Rgf3 are interdependent for their localizations to the division site during fission yeast cytokinesis. Art1 physically interacts with Rgf3 to modulate active Rho1 GTPase levels for successful septal formation.

Rho GTPases, activated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), are essential regulators of polarized cell growth, cytokinesis, and many other cellular processes. However, the regulation of Rho-GEFs themselves is not well understood. Rgf3 is an essential GEF for Rho1 GTPase in fission yeast. We show that Rgf3 protein levels and localization are regulated by arrestin-related protein Art1. art1∆ cells lyse during cell separation with a thinner and defective septum. As does Rgf3, Art1 concentrates to the contractile ring starting at early anaphase and spreads to the septum during and after ring constriction. Art1 localization depends on its C-terminus, and Art1 is important for maintaining Rgf3 protein levels. Biochemical experiments reveal that the Rgf3 C-terminus binds to Art1. Using an Rgf3 conditional mutant and mislocalization experiments, we found that Art1 and Rgf3 are interdependent for localization to the division site. As expected, active Rho1 levels at the division site are reduced in art1∆ and rgf3 mutant cells. Taken together, these data reveal that the arrestin family protein Art1 regulates the protein levels and localization of the Rho-GEF Rgf3, which in turn modulates active Rho1 levels during fission yeast cytokinesis.

Cell and molecular biology of septins

Septins are a family of GTP-binding proteins that assemble into cytoskeletal filaments. Unlike other cytoskeletal components, septins form ordered arrays of defined stoichiometry that can polymerize into long filaments and bundle laterally. Septins associate directly with membranes and have been implicated in providing membrane stability and serving as diffusion barriers for membrane proteins. In addition, septins bind other proteins and have been shown to function as multimolecular scaffolds by recruiting components of signaling pathways. Remarkably, septins participate in a spectrum of cellular processes including cytokinesis, ciliogenesis, cell migration, polarity, and cell-pathogen interactions. Given their breadth of functions, it is not surprising that septin abnormalities have also been linked to human diseases. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of septin structure, assembly and function, and discuss these in the context of human disease.

The Rho-GEF Gef3 interacts with the septin complex and activates the GTPase Rho4 during fission yeast cytokinesis

Rho GTPases, activated by Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), are conserved molecular switches for signal transductions that regulate diverse cellular processes, including cell polarization and cytokinesis. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has six Rho GTPases (Cdc42 and Rho1-Rho5) and seven Rho GEFs (Scd1, Rgf1-Rgf3, and Gef1-Gef3). The GEFs for Rho2-Rho5 have not been unequivocally assigned. In particular, Gef3, the smallest Rho GEF, was barely studied. Here we show that Gef3 colocalizes with septins at the cell equator. Gef3 physically interacts with septins and anillin Mid2 and depends on them to localize. Gef3 coprecipitates with GDP-bound Rho4 in vitro and accelerates nucleotide exchange of Rho4, suggesting that Gef3 is a GEF for Rho4. Consistently, Gef3 and Rho4 are in the same genetic pathways to regulate septum formation and/or cell separation. In gef3∆ cells, the localizations of two potential Rho4 effectors--glucanases Eng1 and Agn1--are abnormal, and active Rho4 level is reduced, indicating that Gef3 is involved in Rho4 activation in vivo. Moreover, overexpression of active Rho4 or Eng1 rescues the septation defects of mutants containing gef3∆. Together our data support that Gef3 interacts with the septin complex and activates Rho4 GTPase as a Rho GEF for septation in fission yeast.

The contractile ring coordinates curvature-dependent septum assembly during fission yeast cytokinesis

Cytokinesis in fission yeast is accomplished by inward growth of the cell wall septum guided by the contractile ring. The ring promotes local septum growth in a curvature-dependent manner, allowing even a misshapen septum to grow into a more regular shape. This suggests that the ring regulates cell wall assembly through a mechanosensitive mechanism.

The functions of the actin-myosin–based contractile ring in cytokinesis remain to be elucidated. Recent findings show that in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, cleavage furrow ingression is driven by polymerization of cell wall fibers outside the plasma membrane, not by the contractile ring. Here we show that one function of the ring is to spatially coordinate septum cell wall assembly. We develop an improved method for live-cell imaging of the division apparatus by orienting the rod-shaped cells vertically using microfabricated wells. We observe that the septum hole and ring are circular and centered in wild-type cells and that in the absence of a functional ring, the septum continues to ingress but in a disorganized and asymmetric manner. By manipulating the cleavage furrow into different shapes, we show that the ring promotes local septum growth in a curvature-dependent manner, allowing even a misshapen septum to grow into a more regular shape. This curvature-dependent growth suggests a model in which contractile forces of the ring shape the septum cell wall by stimulating the cell wall machinery in a mechanosensitive manner. Mechanical regulation of the cell wall assembly may have general relevance to the morphogenesis of walled cells.

F-BAR domain protein Rga7 collaborates with Cdc15 and Imp2 to ensure proper cytokinesis in fission yeast

F-BAR domain proteins act as linkers between the cell cortex and cytoskeleton, and are involved in membrane binding and bending. Rga7 is one of the seven F-BAR proteins present in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In addition to the F-BAR domain in the N-terminal region, Rga7 possesses a Rho GTPase-activating protein (GAP) domain at its C-terminus. We show here that Rga7 is necessary to prevent fragmentation of the contracting ring and incorrect septum synthesis. Accordingly, cultures of cells lacking Rga7 contain a higher percentage of dividing cells and more frequent asymmetric or aberrant septa, which ultimately might cause cell death. The Rga7 F-BAR domain is necessary for the protein localization to the division site and to the cell tips, and also for the Rga7 roles in cytokinesis. In contrast, Rga7 GAP catalytic activity seems to be dispensable. Moreover, we demonstrate that Rga7 cooperates with the two F-BAR proteins Cdc15 and Imp2 to ensure proper cytokinesis. We have also detected association of Rga7 with Imp2, and its binding partners Fic1 and Pxl1. Taken together, our findings suggest that Rga7 forms part of a protein complex that coordinates the late stages of cytokinesis.

Latent homology and convergent regulatory evolution underlies the repeated emergence of yeasts

Convergent evolution is common throughout the tree of life, but the molecular mechanisms causing similar phenotypes to appear repeatedly are obscure. Yeasts have arisen in multiple fungal clades, but the genetic causes and consequences of their evolutionary origins are unknown. Here we show that the potential to develop yeast forms arose early in fungal evolution and became dominant independently in multiple clades, most likely via parallel diversification of Zn-cluster transcription factors, a fungal-specific family involved in regulating yeast-filamentous switches. Our results imply that convergent evolution can happen by the repeated deployment of a conserved genetic toolkit for the same function in distinct clades via regulatory evolution. We suggest that this mechanism might be a common source of evolutionary convergence even at large time scales.

The proteasome-ubiquitin system is required for efficient killing of intracellular Streptococcus pneumoniae by brain endothelial cells

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a Gram-positive bacterium that causes serious invasive diseases, such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis, with high morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Before causing invasive disease, S. pneumoniae encounters cellular barriers, which are often composed of endothelial cells, like the alveolar-capillary barrier and the blood-brain barrier. S. pneumoniae adheres to endothelial cells and may invade them, which requires an efficient host response to the intracellular bacteria. The precise intracellular fate of S. pneumoniae during infection still remains a subject of debate. The proteasome-ubiquitin system is largely responsible for the degradation of misfolded, damaged, or no-longer-useful proteins. Recently, the role of the proteasome-ubiquitin system in the clearing of invading bacteria and viruses has been more closely studied. In this study, we show that inhibition of the proteasome-ubiquitin system leads to a marked increase in S. pneumoniae survival inside host cells. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that intracellular pneumococci colocalized with proteasome and ubiquitin in human endothelial cells in vitro. Confocal imaging analysis demonstrated that in the brains of mice intravenously infected with S. pneumoniae, the bacteria were inside endothelial cells, where they colocalized with proteasome and ubiquitin signals. In conclusion, our data indicate that a fully functional proteasome-ubiquitin system in endothelial cells is crucial for efficient killing of intracellular S. pneumoniae. Importance: Bacterial meningitis is a serious invasive disease with high morbidity and mortality. How bacteria traverse the blood-brain barrier in vivo and what mechanisms are employed by the host to prevent invasion are still unclear. Our data show that inhibition of the proteasome-ubiquitin system in vitro leads to a significant increase in S. pneumoniae survival inside brain endothelial cells. Confocal imaging analysis of brain tissue from mice intravenously infected with pneumococci demonstrated that the bacteria are inside brain microvascular endothelial cells, where they associate with the proteasome and ubiquitin. This is, as far as we know, the first report that demonstrates that Streptococcus pneumoniae invades endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier in vivo. The host requires the proteasome-ubiquitin system for an efficient decimation of intracellular S. pneumoniae.

Asymmetric cell division in polyploid giant cancer cells and low eukaryotic cells

Asymmetric cell division is critical for generating cell diversity in low eukaryotic organisms. We previously have reported that polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) induced by cobalt chloride demonstrate the ability to use an evolutionarily conserved process for renewal and fast reproduction, which is normally confined to simpler organisms. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which reproduces by asymmetric cell division, has long been a model for asymmetric cell division studies. PGCCs produce daughter cells asymmetrically in a manner similar to yeast, in that both use budding for cell polarization and cytokinesis. Here, we review the results of recent studies and discuss the similarities in the budding process between yeast and PGCCs.

Stepwise and cooperative assembly of a cytokinetic core complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Actomyosin ring (AMR) contraction and the synthesis of an extracellular septum are interdependent pathways that mediate cytokinesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other eukaryotes. How these interdependent pathways are physically connected is central for understanding cytokinesis. The yeast IQGAP (Iqg1p) belongs to the conserved AMR. The F-BAR-domain-containing protein Hof1p is a member of a complex that stimulates cell wall synthesis. We report here on the stepwise formation of a physical connection between both proteins. The C-terminal IQ-repeats of Iqg1p first bind to the essential myosin light chain before both proteins assemble with Hof1p into the Mlc1p-Iqg1p-Hof1p (MIH) bridge. Mutations in Iqg1p that disrupt the MIH complex alter Hof1p targeting to the AMR and impair AMR contraction. Epistasis analyses of two IQG1 alleles that are incompatible with formation of the MIH complex support the existence and functional significance of a large cytokinetic core complex. We propose that the MIH complex acts as hinge between the AMR and the proteins involved in cell wall synthesis and membrane attachment.

The novel proteins Rng8 and Rng9 regulate the myosin-V Myo51 during fission yeast cytokinesis

The myosin-V family of molecular motors is known to be under sophisticated regulation, but our knowledge of the roles and regulation of myosin-Vs in cytokinesis is limited. Here, we report that the myosin-V Myo51 affects contractile ring assembly and stability during fission yeast cytokinesis, and is regulated by two novel coiled-coil proteins, Rng8 and Rng9. Both rng8Δ and rng9Δ cells display similar defects as myo51Δ in cytokinesis. Rng8 and Rng9 are required for Myo51's localizations to cytoplasmic puncta, actin cables, and the contractile ring. Myo51 puncta contain multiple Myo51 molecules and walk continuously on actin filaments in rng8(+) cells, whereas Myo51 forms speckles containing only one dimer and does not move efficiently on actin tracks in rng8Δ. Consistently, Myo51 transports artificial cargos efficiently in vivo, and this activity is regulated by Rng8. Purified Rng8 and Rng9 form stable higher-order complexes. Collectively, we propose that Rng8 and Rng9 form oligomers and cluster multiple Myo51 dimers to regulate Myo51 localization and functions.

Force to divide: structural and mechanical requirements for actomyosin ring contraction

One of the unresolved questions in the field of cell division is how the actomyosin cytoskeleton remains structurally organized while generating the contractile force to divide one cell into two. In analogy to the actomyosin-based force production mechanism in striated muscle, it was originally proposed that contractile stress in the actomyosin ring is generated via a sliding filament mechanism within an organized sarcomere-like array. However, over the last 30 years, ultrastructural and functional studies have noted important distinctions between cytokinetic structures in dividing cells and muscle sarcomeres. Myosin-II motor activity is not always required, and there is evidence that actin depolymerization contributes to contraction. In this Review, the architecture and contractile dynamics of the actomyosin ring at the cell division plane will be discussed. We will report the interdisciplinary advances in the field as well as their integration into a mechanistic understanding of contraction in cell division and in other biological processes that rely on an actomyosin-based force-generating system.

Autophagy facilitates Salmonella replication in HeLa cells

Autophagy is a process whereby a double-membrane structure (autophagosome) engulfs unnecessary cytosolic proteins, organelles, and invading pathogens and delivers them to the lysosome for degradation. We examined the fate of cytosolic Salmonella targeted by autophagy and found that autophagy-targeted Salmonella present in the cytosol of HeLa cells correlates with intracellular bacterial replication. Real-time analyses revealed that a subset of cytosolic Salmonella extensively associates with autophagy components p62 and/or LC3 and replicates quickly, whereas intravacuolar Salmonella shows no or very limited association with p62 or LC3 and replicates much more slowly. Replication of cytosolic Salmonella in HeLa cells is significantly decreased when autophagy components are depleted. Eventually, hyperreplication of cytosolic Salmonella potentiates cell detachment, facilitating the dissemination of Salmonella to neighboring cells. We propose that Salmonella benefits from autophagy for its cytosolic replication in HeLa cells.

As a host defense system, autophagy is known to target a population of Salmonella for degradation and hence restricting Salmonella replication. In contrast to this concept, a recent report showed that knockdown of Rab1, a GTPase required for autophagy of Salmonella, decreases Salmonella replication in HeLa cells. Here, we have reexamined the fate of Salmonella targeted by autophagy by various cell biology-based assays. We found that the association of autophagy components with cytosolic Salmonella increases shortly after initiation of intracellular bacterial replication. Furthermore, through a live-cell imaging method, a subset of cytosolic Salmonella was found to be extensively associated with autophagy components p62 and/or LC3, and they replicated quickly. Most importantly, depletion of autophagy components significantly reduced the replication of cytosolic Salmonella in HeLa cells. Hence, in contrast to previous reports, we propose that autophagy facilitates Salmonella replication in the cytosol of HeLa cells.

The yeast actin cytoskeleton

The actin cytoskeleton is a complex network of dynamic polymers, which plays an important role in various fundamental cellular processes, including maintenance of cell shape, polarity, cell division, cell migration, endocytosis, vesicular trafficking, and mechanosensation. Precise spatiotemporal assembly and disassembly of actin structures is regulated by the coordinated activity of about 100 highly conserved accessory proteins, which nucleate, elongate, cross-link, and sever actin filaments. Both in vivo studies in a wide range of organisms from yeast to metazoans and in vitro studies of purified proteins have helped shape the current understanding of actin dynamics and function. Molecular genetics, genome-wide functional analysis, sophisticated real-time imaging, and ultrastructural studies in concert with biochemical analysis have made yeast an attractive model to understand the actin cytoskeleton, its molecular dynamics, and physiological function. Studies of the yeast actin cytoskeleton have contributed substantially in defining the universal mechanism regulating actin assembly and disassembly in eukaryotes. Here, we review some of the important insights generated by the study of actin cytoskeleton in two important yeast models the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

STRIPAK complexes: structure, biological function, and involvement in human diseases

The mammalian striatin family consists of three proteins, striatin, S/G2 nuclear autoantigen, and zinedin. Striatin family members have no intrinsic catalytic activity, but rather function as scaffolding proteins. Remarkably, they organize multiple diverse, large signaling complexes that participate in a variety of cellular processes. Moreover, they appear to be regulatory/targeting subunits for the major eukaryotic serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A. In addition, striatin family members associate with germinal center kinase III kinases as well as other novel components, earning these assemblies the name striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complexes. Recently, there has been a great increase in functional and mechanistic studies aimed at identifying and understanding the roles of STRIPAK and STRIPAK-like complexes in cellular processes of multiple organisms. These studies have identified novel STRIPAK and STRIPAK-like complexes and have explored their roles in specific signaling pathways. Together, the results of these studies have sparked increased interest in striatin family complexes because they have revealed roles in signaling, cell cycle control, apoptosis, vesicular trafficking, Golgi assembly, cell polarity, cell migration, neural and vascular development, and cardiac function. Moreover, STRIPAK complexes have been connected to clinical conditions, including cardiac disease, diabetes, autism, and cerebral cavernous malformation. In this review, we discuss the expression, localization, and protein domain structure of striatin family members. Then we consider the diverse complexes these proteins and their homologs form in various organisms, emphasizing what is known regarding function and regulation. Finally, we explore possible roles of striatin family complexes in disease, especially cerebral cavernous malformation.

The formins Cdc12 and For3 cooperate during contractile ring assembly in cytokinesis

Both de novo-assembled actin filaments at the division site and existing filaments recruited by directional cortical transport contribute to contractile ring formation during cytokinesis. However, it is unknown which source is more important. Here, we show that fission yeast formin For3 is responsible for node condensation into clumps in the absence of formin Cdc12. For3 localization at the division site depended on the F-BAR protein Cdc15, and for3 deletion was synthetic lethal with mutations that cause defects in contractile ring formation. For3 became essential in cells expressing N-terminal truncations of Cdc12, which were more active in actin assembly but depended on actin filaments for localization to the division site. In tetrad fluorescence microscopy, double mutants of for3 deletion and cdc12 truncations were severely defective in contractile ring assembly and constriction, although cortical transport of actin filaments was normal. Together, these data indicate that different formins cooperate in cytokinesis and that de novo actin assembly at the division site is predominant for contractile ring formation.

Distinct roles of a mitogen-activated protein kinase in cytokinesis between different life cycle forms of Trypanosoma brucei

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) modules are evolutionarily conserved signaling cascades that function in response to the environment and play crucial roles in intracellular signal transduction in eukaryotes. The involvement of a MAP kinase in regulating cytokinesis in yeast, animals, and plants has been reported, but the requirement for a MAP kinase for cytokinesis in the early-branching protozoa is not documented. Here, we show that a MAP kinase homolog (TbMAPK6) from Trypanosoma brucei plays distinct roles in cytokinesis in two life cycle forms of T. brucei. TbMAPK6 is distributed throughout the cytosol in the procyclic form but is localized in both the cytosol and the nucleus in the bloodstream form. RNA interference (RNAi) of TbMAPK6 results in moderate growth inhibition in the procyclic form but severe growth defects and rapid cell death in the bloodstream form. Moreover, TbMAPK6 appears to be implicated in furrow ingression and cytokinesis completion in the procyclic form but is essential for cytokinesis initiation in the bloodstream form. Despite the distinct defects in cytokinesis in the two forms, RNAi of TbMAPK6 also caused defective basal body duplication/segregation in a small cell population in both life cycle forms. Altogether, our results demonstrate the involvement of the TbMAPK6-mediated pathway in regulating cytokinesis in trypanosomes and suggest distinct roles of TbMAPK6 in cytokinesis between different life cycle stages of T. brucei.

Timing it right: precise ON/OFF switches for Rho1 and Cdc42 GTPases in cytokinesis

In many eukaryotes, cytokinesis requires an actomyosin contractile ring that is crucial for cell constriction and new membrane organization. Two studies in this issue (Onishi et al. 2013. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org.10.1083/jcb.201302001 and Atkins et al. 2013. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org.10.1083/jcb.201301090) establish that precise activation and/or inactivation of Rho1 and Cdc42 GTPases is important for the correct order and successful completion of events downstream of actomyosin ring constriction in budding yeast.

Fission yeast nucleolar protein Dnt1 regulates G2/M transition and cytokinesis by downregulating Wee1 kinase

Cytokinesis involves temporally and spatially coordinated action of the cell cycle, cytoskeletal and membrane systems to achieve separation of daughter cells. The septation initiation network (SIN) and mitotic exit network (MEN) signaling pathways regulate cytokinesis and mitotic exit in the yeasts Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. Previously, we have shown that in fission yeast, the nucleolar protein Dnt1 negatively regulates the SIN pathway in a manner that is independent of the Cdc14-family phosphatase Clp1/Flp1, but how Dnt1 modulates this pathway has remained elusive. By contrast, it is clear that its budding yeast relative, Net1/Cfi1, regulates the homologous MEN signaling pathway by sequestering Cdc14 phosphatase in the nucleolus before mitotic exit. In this study, we show that dnt1(+) positively regulates G2/M transition during the cell cycle. By conducting epistasis analyses to measure cell length at septation in double mutant (for dnt1 and genes involved in G2/M control) cells, we found a link between dnt1(+) and wee1(+). Furthermore, we showed that elevated protein levels of the mitotic inhibitor Wee1 kinase and the corresponding attenuation in Cdk1 activity is responsible for the rescuing effect of dnt1Δ on SIN mutants. Finally, our data also suggest that Dnt1 modulates Wee1 activity in parallel with SCF-mediated Wee1 degradation. Therefore, this study reveals an unexpected missing link between the nucleolar protein Dnt1 and the SIN signaling pathway, which is mediated by the Cdk1 regulator Wee1 kinase. Our findings also define a novel mode of regulation of Wee1 and Cdk1, which is important for integration of the signals controlling the SIN pathway in fission yeast.

Distinct roles of Rho1, Cdc42, and Cyk3 in septum formation and abscission during yeast cytokinesis

In yeast and animal cytokinesis, the small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rho1/RhoA has an established role in formation of the contractile actomyosin ring, but its role, if any, during cleavage-furrow ingression and abscission is poorly understood. Through genetic screens in yeast, we found that either activation of Rho1 or inactivation of another small GTPase, Cdc42, promoted secondary septum (SS) formation, which appeared to be responsible for abscission. Consistent with this hypothesis, a dominant-negative Rho1 inhibited SS formation but not cleavage-furrow ingression or the concomitant actomyosin ring constriction. Moreover, Rho1 is temporarily inactivated during cleavage-furrow ingression; this inactivation requires the protein Cyk3, which binds Rho1-guanosine diphosphate via its catalytically inactive transglutaminase-like domain. Thus, unlike the active transglutaminases that activate RhoA, the multidomain protein Cyk3 appears to inhibit activation of Rho1 (and thus SS formation), while simultaneously promoting cleavage-furrow ingression through primary septum formation. This work suggests a general role for the catalytically inactive transglutaminases of fungi and animals, some of which have previously been implicated in cytokinesis.

Dynamics of SIN asymmetry establishment

Timing of cell division is coordinated by the Septation Initiation Network (SIN) in fission yeast. SIN activation is initiated at the two spindle pole bodies (SPB) of the cell in metaphase, but only one of these SPBs contains an active SIN in anaphase, while SIN is inactivated in the other by the Cdc16-Byr4 GAP complex. Most of the factors that are needed for such asymmetry establishment have been already characterized, but we lack the molecular details that drive such quick asymmetric distribution of molecules at the two SPBs. Here we investigate the problem by computational modeling and, after establishing a minimal system with two antagonists that can drive reliable asymmetry establishment, we incorporate the current knowledge on the basic SIN regulators into an extended model with molecular details of the key regulators. The model can capture several peculiar earlier experimental findings and also predicts the behavior of double and triple SIN mutants. We experimentally tested one prediction, that phosphorylation of the scaffold protein Cdc11 by a SIN kinase and the core cell cycle regulatory Cyclin dependent kinase (Cdk) can compensate for mutations in the SIN inhibitor Cdc16 with different efficiencies. One aspect of the prediction failed, highlighting a potential hole in our current knowledge. Further experimental tests revealed that SIN induced Cdc11 phosphorylation might have two separate effects. We conclude that SIN asymmetry is established by the antagonistic interactions between SIN and its inhibitor Cdc16-Byr4, partially through the regulation of Cdc11 phosphorylation states.