1
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Ballmer D, Lou HJ, Ishii M, Turk BE, Akiyoshi B. Aurora B controls anaphase onset and error-free chromosome segregation in trypanosomes. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202401169. [PMID: 39196069 PMCID: PMC11354203 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202401169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Kinetochores form the interface between chromosomes and spindle microtubules and are thus under tight control by a complex regulatory circuitry. The Aurora B kinase plays a central role within this circuitry by destabilizing improper kinetochore-microtubule attachments and relaying the attachment status to the spindle assembly checkpoint. Intriguingly, Aurora B is conserved even in kinetoplastids, a group of early-branching eukaryotes which possess a unique set of kinetochore proteins. It remains unclear how their kinetochores are regulated to ensure faithful chromosome segregation. Here, we show in Trypanosoma brucei that Aurora B activity controls the metaphase-to-anaphase transition through phosphorylation of the divergent Bub1-like protein KKT14. Depletion of KKT14 overrides the metaphase arrest resulting from Aurora B inhibition, while expression of non-phosphorylatable KKT14 delays anaphase onset. Finally, we demonstrate that re-targeting Aurora B to the outer kinetochore suffices to promote mitotic exit but causes extensive chromosome missegregation in anaphase. Our results indicate that Aurora B and KKT14 are involved in an unconventional circuitry controlling cell cycle progression in trypanosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ballmer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hua Jane Lou
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Midori Ishii
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Benjamin E. Turk
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bungo Akiyoshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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2
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Ballmer D, Akiyoshi B. Dynamic localization of the chromosomal passenger complex in trypanosomes is controlled by the orphan kinesins KIN-A and KIN-B. eLife 2024; 13:RP93522. [PMID: 38564240 PMCID: PMC10987093 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) is an important regulator of cell division, which shows dynamic subcellular localization throughout mitosis, including kinetochores and the spindle midzone. In traditional model eukaryotes such as yeasts and humans, the CPC consists of the catalytic subunit Aurora B kinase, its activator INCENP, and the localization module proteins Borealin and Survivin. Intriguingly, Aurora B and INCENP as well as their localization pattern are conserved in kinetoplastids, an evolutionarily divergent group of eukaryotes that possess unique kinetochore proteins and lack homologs of Borealin or Survivin. It is not understood how the kinetoplastid CPC assembles nor how it is targeted to its subcellular destinations during the cell cycle. Here, we identify two orphan kinesins, KIN-A and KIN-B, as bona fide CPC proteins in Trypanosoma brucei, the kinetoplastid parasite that causes African sleeping sickness. KIN-A and KIN-B form a scaffold for the assembly of the remaining CPC subunits. We show that the C-terminal unstructured tail of KIN-A interacts with the KKT8 complex at kinetochores, while its N-terminal motor domain promotes CPC translocation to spindle microtubules. Thus, the KIN-A:KIN-B complex constitutes a unique 'two-in-one' CPC localization module, which directs the CPC to kinetochores from S phase until metaphase and to the central spindle in anaphase. Our findings highlight the evolutionary diversity of CPC proteins and raise the possibility that kinesins may have served as the original transport vehicles for Aurora kinases in early eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ballmer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological SciencesEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Bungo Akiyoshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological SciencesEdinburghUnited Kingdom
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3
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Mata-Sucre Y, Parteka LM, Ritz CM, Gatica-Arias A, Félix LP, Thomas WW, Souza G, Vanzela ALL, Pedrosa-Harand A, Marques A. Oligo-barcode illuminates holocentric karyotype evolution in Rhynchospora (Cyperaceae). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1330927. [PMID: 38384757 PMCID: PMC10879424 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1330927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Holocentric karyotypes are assumed to rapidly evolve through chromosome fusions and fissions due to the diffuse nature of their centromeres. Here, we took advantage of the recent availability of a chromosome-scale reference genome for Rhynchospora breviuscula, a model species of this holocentric genus, and developed the first set of oligo-based barcode probes for a holocentric plant. These probes were applied to 13 additional species of the genus, aiming to investigate the evolutionary dynamics driving the karyotype evolution in Rhynchospora. The two sets of probes were composed of 27,392 (green) and 23,968 (magenta) oligonucleotides (45-nt long), and generated 15 distinct FISH signals as a unique barcode pattern for the identification of all five chromosome pairs of the R. breviuscula karyotype. Oligo-FISH comparative analyzes revealed different types of rearrangements, such as fusions, fissions, putative inversions and translocations, as well as genomic duplications among the analyzed species. Two rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) were demonstrated in R. pubera, but both analyzed accessions differed in the complex chain of events that gave rise to its large, structurally diploidized karyotypes with 2n = 10 or 12. Considering the phylogenetic relationships and divergence time of the species, the specificity and synteny of the probes were maintained up to species with a divergence time of ~25 My. However, karyotype divergence in more distant species hindered chromosome mapping and the inference of specific events. This barcoding system is a powerful tool to study chromosomal variations and genomic evolution in holocentric chromosomes of Rhynchospora species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yennifer Mata-Sucre
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
- Laboratório de Citogenética e Evolução Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Letícia Maria Parteka
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Plant Diversity, Department of General Biology, Londrina State University, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Christiane M. Ritz
- Department of Botany, Senckenberg Museum for Natural History Görlitz, Senckenberg – Member of the Leibniz Association, Görlitz, Germany
- Technical University Dresden, International Institute (IHI) Zittau, Chair of Biodiversity of Higher Plants, Zittau, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Leonardo P. Félix
- Laboratory of Plant Cytogenetics, Department of Biosciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, Brazil
| | - William Wayt Thomas
- Institute of Systematic Botany, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Gustavo Souza
- Laboratório de Citogenética e Evolução Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - André L. L. Vanzela
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Plant Diversity, Department of General Biology, Londrina State University, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Andrea Pedrosa-Harand
- Laboratório de Citogenética e Evolução Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - André Marques
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
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4
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Ballmer D, Lou HJ, Ishii M, Turk BE, Akiyoshi B. An unconventional regulatory circuitry involving Aurora B controls anaphase onset and error-free chromosome segregation in trypanosomes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.20.576407. [PMID: 38293145 PMCID: PMC10827227 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.20.576407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis requires that all chromosomes establish stable bi-oriented attachments with the spindle apparatus. Kinetochores form the interface between chromosomes and spindle microtubules and as such are under tight control by complex regulatory circuitry. As part of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), the Aurora B kinase plays a central role within this circuitry by destabilizing improper kinetochore-microtubule attachments and relaying the attachment status to the spindle assembly checkpoint, a feedback control system that delays the onset of anaphase by inhibiting the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome. Intriguingly, Aurora B is conserved even in kinetoplastids, an evolutionarily divergent group of eukaryotes, whose kinetochores are composed of a unique set of structural and regulatory proteins. Kinetoplastids do not have a canonical spindle checkpoint and it remains unclear how their kinetochores are regulated to ensure the fidelity and timing of chromosome segregation. Here, we show in Trypanosoma brucei, the kinetoplastid parasite that causes African sleeping sickness, that inhibition of Aurora B using an analogue-sensitive approach arrests cells in metaphase, with a reduction in properly bi-oriented kinetochores. Aurora B phosphorylates several kinetochore proteins in vitro, including the N-terminal region of the divergent Bub1-like protein KKT14. Depletion of KKT14 partially overrides the cell cycle arrest caused by Aurora B inhibition, while overexpression of a non-phosphorylatable KKT14 protein results in a prominent delay in the metaphase-to-anaphase transition. Finally, we demonstrate using a nanobody-based system that re-targeting the catalytic module of the CPC to the outer kinetochore is sufficient to promote mitotic exit but causes massive chromosome mis-segregation in anaphase. Our results indicate that the CPC and KKT14 are involved in an unconventional pathway controlling mitotic exit and error-free chromosome segregation in trypanosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ballmer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Hua Jane Lou
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Midori Ishii
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Max Born Crescent Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin E. Turk
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bungo Akiyoshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- The Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Max Born Crescent Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, United Kingdom
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5
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Liu C, Huang Y, Guo X, Yi C, Liu Q, Zhang K, Zhu C, Liu Y, Han F. Young retrotransposons and non-B DNA structures promote the establishment of dominant rye centromere in the 1RS.1BL fused centromere. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:607-622. [PMID: 37897058 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The fine centromere structure in Robertsonian wheat-rye translocation chromosomes exhibits variation among different translocation genotypes. Within extensively employed wheat-rye 1RS.1BL translocation lines in wheat breeding, their translocated chromosomes frequently display fused centromere. Nevertheless, the mechanism governing the functionality of the fused centromere in 1RS.1BL translocated chromosomes remains to be clarified. In this study, we investigated the fine centromere structure of the 1RS.1BL translocated chromosome through a combination of cytological and genomics methods. We found that only the rye-derived centromere exhibits functional activity, whether in breeding applications or artificially synthesized translocation chromosomes. The active rye-derived centromere had higher proportion of young full-length long terminal repeat retrotransposons (flLTR-RTs) and more stable non-B DNA structures, which may be beneficial toward transcription of centromeric repeats and CENH3 loading to maintain the activity of rye centromeres. High levels of DNA methylation and H3K9me2 were found in the inactive wheat-derived centromeres, suggesting that it may play a crucial role in maintaining the inactive status of the wheat centromere. Our works elucidate the fine structure of 1RS.1BL translocations and the potential mechanism of centromere inactivation in the fused centromere, contributing knowledge to the application of fused centromere in wheat breeding formation of new wheat-rye translocation lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuhong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xianrui Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Congyang Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Kaibiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Congle Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Fangpu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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6
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Ishii M, Ludzia P, Marcianò G, Allen W, Nerusheva OO, Akiyoshi B. Divergent polo boxes in KKT2 bind KKT1 to initiate the kinetochore assembly cascade in Trypanosoma brucei. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar143. [PMID: 36129769 PMCID: PMC9727816 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-07-0269-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation requires assembly of the macromolecular kinetochore complex onto centromeric DNA. While most eukaryotes have canonical kinetochore proteins that are widely conserved among eukaryotes, evolutionarily divergent kinetoplastids have a unique set of kinetochore proteins. Little is known about the mechanism of kinetochore assembly in kinetoplastids. Here we characterize two homologous kinetoplastid kinetochore proteins, KKT2 and KKT3, that constitutively localize at centromeres. They have three domains that are highly conserved among kinetoplastids: an N-terminal kinase domain of unknown function, the centromere localization domain in the middle, and the C-terminal domain that has weak similarity to polo boxes of Polo-like kinases. We show that the kinase activity of KKT2 is essential for accurate chromosome segregation, while that of KKT3 is dispensable for cell growth in Trypanosoma brucei. Crystal structures of their divergent polo boxes reveal differences between KKT2 and KKT3. We also show that the divergent polo boxes of KKT3 are sufficient to recruit KKT2 in trypanosomes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the divergent polo boxes of KKT2 interact directly with KKT1 and that KKT1 interacts with KKT6. These results show that the divergent polo boxes of KKT2 and KKT3 are protein-protein interaction domains that initiate kinetochore assembly in T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Midori Ishii
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Patryk Ludzia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Gabriele Marcianò
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - William Allen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Olga O. Nerusheva
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Bungo Akiyoshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
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7
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Sridhar S, Fukagawa T. Kinetochore Architecture Employs Diverse Linker Strategies Across Evolution. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:862637. [PMID: 35800888 PMCID: PMC9252888 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.862637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The assembly of a functional kinetochore on centromeric chromatin is necessary to connect chromosomes to the mitotic spindle, ensuring accurate chromosome segregation. This connecting function of the kinetochore presents multiple internal and external structural challenges. A microtubule interacting outer kinetochore and centromeric chromatin interacting inner kinetochore effectively confront forces from the external spindle and centromere, respectively. While internally, special inner kinetochore proteins, defined as "linkers," simultaneously interact with centromeric chromatin and the outer kinetochore to enable association with the mitotic spindle. With the ability to simultaneously interact with outer kinetochore components and centromeric chromatin, linker proteins such as centromere protein (CENP)-C or CENP-T in vertebrates and, additionally CENP-QOkp1-UAme1 in yeasts, also perform the function of force propagation within the kinetochore. Recent efforts have revealed an array of linker pathways strategies to effectively recruit the largely conserved outer kinetochore. In this review, we examine these linkages used to propagate force and recruit the outer kinetochore across evolution. Further, we look at their known regulatory pathways and implications on kinetochore structural diversity and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreyas Sridhar
- Laboratory of Chromosome Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Fukagawa
- Laboratory of Chromosome Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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8
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Pesenti ME, Raisch T, Conti D, Walstein K, Hoffmann I, Vogt D, Prumbaum D, Vetter IR, Raunser S, Musacchio A. Structure of the human inner kinetochore CCAN complex and its significance for human centromere organization. Mol Cell 2022; 82:2113-2131.e8. [PMID: 35525244 PMCID: PMC9235857 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Centromeres are specialized chromosome loci that seed the kinetochore, a large protein complex that effects chromosome segregation. A 16-subunit complex, the constitutive centromere associated network (CCAN), connects between the specialized centromeric chromatin, marked by the histone H3 variant CENP-A, and the spindle-binding moiety of the kinetochore. Here, we report a cryo-electron microscopy structure of human CCAN. We highlight unique features such as the pseudo GTPase CENP-M and report how a crucial CENP-C motif binds the CENP-LN complex. The CCAN structure has implications for the mechanism of specific recognition of the CENP-A nucleosome. A model consistent with our structure depicts the CENP-C-bound nucleosome as connected to the CCAN through extended, flexible regions of CENP-C. An alternative model identifies both CENP-C and CENP-N as specificity determinants but requires CENP-N to bind CENP-A in a mode distinct from the classical nucleosome octamer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion E Pesenti
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Tobias Raisch
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Duccio Conti
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Kai Walstein
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ingrid Hoffmann
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Dorothee Vogt
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Daniel Prumbaum
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ingrid R Vetter
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Stefan Raunser
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Andrea Musacchio
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse, 45141 Essen, Germany.
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9
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Velle KB, Kennard AS, Trupinić M, Ivec A, Swafford AJM, Nolton E, Rice LM, Tolić IM, Fritz-Laylin LK, Wadsworth P. Naegleria's mitotic spindles are built from unique tubulins and highlight core spindle features. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1247-1261.e6. [PMID: 35139359 PMCID: PMC9036621 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Naegleria gruberi is a unicellular eukaryote whose evolutionary distance from animals and fungi has made it useful for developing hypotheses about the last common eukaryotic ancestor. Naegleria amoebae lack a cytoplasmic microtubule cytoskeleton and assemble microtubules only during mitosis and thus represent a unique system for studying the evolution and functional specificity of mitotic tubulins and the spindles they assemble. Previous studies show that Naegleria amoebae express a divergent α-tubulin during mitosis, and we now show that Naegleria amoebae express a second mitotic α- and two mitotic β-tubulins. The mitotic tubulins are evolutionarily divergent relative to typical α- and β-tubulins and contain residues that suggest distinct microtubule properties. These distinct residues are conserved in mitotic tubulin homologs of the "brain-eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri, making them potential drug targets. Using quantitative light microscopy, we find that Naegleria's mitotic spindle is a distinctive barrel-like structure built from a ring of microtubule bundles. Similar to those of other species, Naegleria's spindle is twisted, and its length increases during mitosis, suggesting that these aspects of mitosis are ancestral features. Because bundle numbers change during metaphase, we hypothesize that the initial bundles represent kinetochore fibers and secondary bundles function as bridging fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina B Velle
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Andrew S Kennard
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Monika Trupinić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Arian Ivec
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Bijenička cesta 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Andrew J M Swafford
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Emily Nolton
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Luke M Rice
- Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Iva M Tolić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lillian K Fritz-Laylin
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Patricia Wadsworth
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 611 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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10
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Ishii M, Akiyoshi B. Plasticity in centromere organization and kinetochore composition: Lessons from diversity. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2022; 74:47-54. [PMID: 35108654 PMCID: PMC9089191 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Kinetochores are the macromolecular protein complexes that govern chromosome movement by binding spindle microtubules during mitosis and meiosis. Centromeres are the specific chromosomal regions that serve as the platform on which kinetochores assemble. Despite their essentiality for proper chromosome segregation, the size and organization of centromeres vary dramatically between species, while different compositions of kinetochores are found among eukaryotes. Here we discuss recent progress in understanding centromeres and kinetochores in non-traditional model eukaryotes. We specifically focus on select lineages (holocentric insects, early diverging fungi, and kinetoplastids) that lack CENP-A, a centromere-specific histone H3 variant that is critical for kinetochore specification and assembly in many eukaryotes. We also highlight some organisms that might have hitherto unknown types of kinetochore proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Midori Ishii
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK
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11
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Câmara AS, Schubert V, Mascher M, Houben A. A simple model explains the cell cycle-dependent assembly of centromeric nucleosomes in holocentric species. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:9053-9065. [PMID: 34352103 PMCID: PMC8450114 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are essential for chromosome movement. In independent taxa, species with holocentric chromosomes exist. In contrast to monocentric species, where no obvious dispersion of centromeres occurs during interphase, the organization of holocentromeres differs between condensed and decondensed chromosomes. During interphase, centromeres are dispersed into a large number of CENH3-positive nucleosome clusters in a number of holocentric species. With the onset of chromosome condensation, the centromeric nucleosomes join and form line-like holocentromeres. Using polymer simulations, we propose a mechanism relying on the interaction between centromeric nucleosomes and structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) proteins. Different sets of molecular dynamic simulations were evaluated by testing four parameters: (i) the concentration of Loop Extruders (LEs) corresponding to SMCs, (ii) the distribution and number of centromeric nucleosomes, (iii) the effect of centromeric nucleosomes on interacting LEs and (iv) the assembly of kinetochores bound to centromeric nucleosomes. We observed the formation of a line-like holocentromere, due to the aggregation of the centromeric nucleosomes when the chromosome was compacted into loops. A groove-like holocentromere structure formed after a kinetochore complex was simulated along the centromeric line. Similar mechanisms may also organize a monocentric chromosome constriction, and its regulation may cause different centromere types during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Souza Câmara
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Veit Schubert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Martin Mascher
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Andreas Houben
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany
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12
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Walstein K, Petrovic A, Pan D, Hagemeier B, Vogt D, Vetter IR, Musacchio A. Assembly principles and stoichiometry of a complete human kinetochore module. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/27/eabg1037. [PMID: 34193424 PMCID: PMC8245036 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg1037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Centromeres are epigenetically determined chromosomal loci that seed kinetochore assembly to promote chromosome segregation during cell division. CENP-A, a centromere-specific histone H3 variant, establishes the foundations for centromere epigenetic memory and kinetochore assembly. It recruits the constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN), which in turn assembles the microtubule-binding interface. How the specific organization of centromeric chromatin relates to kinetochore assembly and to centromere identity through cell division remains conjectural. Here, we break new ground by reconstituting a functional full-length version of CENP-C, the largest human CCAN subunit and a blueprint of kinetochore assembly. We show that full-length CENP-C, a dimer, binds stably to two nucleosomes and permits further assembly of all other kinetochore subunits in vitro with relative ratios closely matching those of endogenous human kinetochores. Our results imply that human kinetochores emerge from clustering multiple copies of a fundamental module and may have important implications for transgenerational inheritance of centromeric chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Walstein
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
- Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 1, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Arsen Petrovic
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Dongqing Pan
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Birte Hagemeier
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Dorothee Vogt
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ingrid R Vetter
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Andrea Musacchio
- Department of Mechanistic Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
- Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 1, 45141 Essen, Germany
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13
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Mechanical Mechanisms of Chromosome Segregation. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020465. [PMID: 33671543 PMCID: PMC7926803 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation—the partitioning of genetic material into two daughter cells—is one of the most crucial processes in cell division. In all Eukaryotes, chromosome segregation is driven by the spindle, a microtubule-based, self-organizing subcellular structure. Extensive research performed over the past 150 years has identified numerous commonalities and contrasts between spindles in different systems. In this review, we use simple coarse-grained models to organize and integrate previous studies of chromosome segregation. We discuss sites of force generation in spindles and fundamental mechanical principles that any understanding of chromosome segregation must be based upon. We argue that conserved sites of force generation may interact differently in different spindles, leading to distinct mechanical mechanisms of chromosome segregation. We suggest experiments to determine which mechanical mechanism is operative in a particular spindle under study. Finally, we propose that combining biophysical experiments, coarse-grained theories, and evolutionary genetics will be a productive approach to enhance our understanding of chromosome segregation in the future.
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14
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Hofstatter PG, Thangavel G, Castellani M, Marques A. Meiosis Progression and Recombination in Holocentric Plants: What Is Known? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:658296. [PMID: 33968114 PMCID: PMC8100227 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.658296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Differently from the common monocentric organization of eukaryotic chromosomes, the so-called holocentric chromosomes present many centromeric regions along their length. This chromosomal organization can be found in animal and plant lineages, whose distribution suggests that it has evolved independently several times. Holocentric chromosomes present an advantage: even broken chromosome parts can be correctly segregated upon cell division. However, the evolution of holocentricity brought about consequences to nuclear processes and several adaptations are necessary to cope with this new organization. Centromeres of monocentric chromosomes are involved in a two-step cohesion release during meiosis. To deal with that holocentric lineages developed different adaptations, like the chromosome remodeling strategy in Caenorhabditis elegans or the inverted meiosis in plants. Furthermore, the frequency of recombination at or around centromeres is normally very low and the presence of centromeric regions throughout the entire length of the chromosomes could potentially pose a problem for recombination in holocentric organisms. However, meiotic recombination happens, with exceptions, in those lineages in spite of their holocentric organization suggesting that the role of centromere as recombination suppressor might be altered in these lineages. Most of the available information about adaptations to meiosis in holocentric organisms is derived from the animal model C. elegans. As holocentricity evolved independently in different lineages, adaptations observed in C. elegans probably do not apply to other lineages and very limited research is available for holocentric plants. Currently, we still lack a holocentric model for plants, but good candidates may be found among Cyperaceae, a large angiosperm family. Besides holocentricity, chiasmatic and achiasmatic inverted meiosis are found in the family. Here, we introduce the main concepts of meiotic constraints and adaptations with special focus in meiosis progression and recombination in holocentric plants. Finally, we present the main challenges and perspectives for future research in the field of chromosome biology and meiosis in holocentric plants.
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15
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Vijay N. Loss of inner kinetochore genes is associated with the transition to an unconventional point centromere in budding yeast. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10085. [PMID: 33062452 PMCID: PMC7531349 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The genomic sequences of centromeres, as well as the set of proteins that recognize and interact with centromeres, are known to quickly diverge between lineages potentially contributing to post-zygotic reproductive isolation. However, the actual sequence of events and processes involved in the divergence of the kinetochore machinery is not known. The patterns of gene loss that occur during evolution concomitant with phenotypic changes have been used to understand the timing and order of molecular changes. Methods I screened the high-quality genomes of twenty budding yeast species for the presence of well-studied kinetochore genes. Based on the conserved gene order and complete genome assemblies, I identified gene loss events. Subsequently, I searched the intergenic regions to identify any un-annotated genes or gene remnants to obtain additional evidence of gene loss. Results My analysis identified the loss of four genes (NKP1, NKP2, CENPL/IML3 and CENPN/CHL4) of the inner kinetochore constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN/also known as CTF19 complex in yeast) in both the Naumovozyma species for which genome assemblies are available. Surprisingly, this collective loss of four genes of the CCAN/CTF19 complex coincides with the emergence of unconventional centromeres in N. castellii and N. dairenensis. My study suggests a tentative link between the emergence of unconventional point centromeres and the turnover of kinetochore genes in budding yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagarjun Vijay
- Computational Evolutionary Genomics Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
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16
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Mitra S, Srinivasan B, Jansen LE. Stable inheritance of CENP-A chromatin: Inner strength versus dynamic control. J Cell Biol 2020; 219:e202005099. [PMID: 32931551 PMCID: PMC7659725 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202005099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation during cell division is driven by mitotic spindle attachment to the centromere region on each chromosome. Centromeres form a protein scaffold defined by chromatin featuring CENP-A, a conserved histone H3 variant, in a manner largely independent of local DNA cis elements. CENP-A nucleosomes fulfill two essential criteria to epigenetically identify the centromere. They undergo self-templated duplication to reestablish centromeric chromatin following DNA replication. More importantly, CENP-A incorporated into centromeric chromatin is stably transmitted through consecutive cell division cycles. CENP-A nucleosomes have unique structural properties and binding partners that potentially explain their long lifetime in vivo. However, rather than a static building block, centromeric chromatin is dynamically regulated throughout the cell cycle, indicating that CENP-A stability is also controlled by external factors. We discuss recent insights and identify the outstanding questions on how dynamic control of the long-term stability of CENP-A ensures epigenetic centromere inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreyoshi Mitra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Bharath Srinivasan
- Mechanistic Biology and Profiling, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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17
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Hara M, Fukagawa T. Dynamics of kinetochore structure and its regulations during mitotic progression. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:2981-2995. [PMID: 32052088 PMCID: PMC11104943 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03472-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis in eukaryotes requires attachment of the kinetochore, a large protein complex assembled on the centromere of each chromosome, to the spindle microtubules. The kinetochore is a structural interface for the microtubule attachment and provides molecular surveillance mechanisms that monitor and ensure the precise microtubule attachment as well, including error correction and spindle assembly checkpoint. During mitotic progression, the kinetochore undergoes dynamic morphological changes that are observable through electron microscopy as well as through fluorescence microscopy. These structural changes might be associated with the kinetochore function. In this review, we summarize how the dynamics of kinetochore morphology are associated with its functions and discuss recent findings on the switching of protein interaction networks in the kinetochore during cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatoshi Hara
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Tatsuo Fukagawa
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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18
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Schubert V, Neumann P, Marques A, Heckmann S, Macas J, Pedrosa-Harand A, Schubert I, Jang TS, Houben A. Super-Resolution Microscopy Reveals Diversity of Plant Centromere Architecture. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3488. [PMID: 32429054 PMCID: PMC7278974 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are essential for proper chromosome segregation to the daughter cells during mitosis and meiosis. Chromosomes of most eukaryotes studied so far have regional centromeres that form primary constrictions on metaphase chromosomes. These monocentric chromosomes vary from point centromeres to so-called "meta-polycentromeres", with multiple centromere domains in an extended primary constriction, as identified in Pisum and Lathyrus species. However, in various animal and plant lineages centromeres are distributed along almost the entire chromosome length. Therefore, they are called holocentromeres. In holocentric plants, centromere-specific proteins, at which spindle fibers usually attach, are arranged contiguously (line-like), in clusters along the chromosomes or in bands. Here, we summarize findings of ultrastructural investigations using immunolabeling with centromere-specific antibodies and super-resolution microscopy to demonstrate the structural diversity of plant centromeres. A classification of the different centromere types has been suggested based on the distribution of spindle attachment sites. Based on these findings we discuss the possible evolution and advantages of holocentricity, and potential strategies to segregate holocentric chromosomes correctly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veit Schubert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany; (S.H.); (I.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Pavel Neumann
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.N.); (J.M.); (T.-S.J.)
| | - André Marques
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Stefan Heckmann
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany; (S.H.); (I.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Jiri Macas
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.N.); (J.M.); (T.-S.J.)
| | - Andrea Pedrosa-Harand
- Department of Botany, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife 50670-901, Pernambuco, Brazil;
| | - Ingo Schubert
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany; (S.H.); (I.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Tae-Soo Jang
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.N.); (J.M.); (T.-S.J.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Andreas Houben
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany; (S.H.); (I.S.); (A.H.)
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19
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Nerusheva OO, Ludzia P, Akiyoshi B. Identification of four unconventional kinetoplastid kinetochore proteins KKT22-25 in Trypanosoma brucei. Open Biol 2019; 9:190236. [PMID: 31795916 PMCID: PMC6936259 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.190236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The kinetochore is a multi-protein complex that drives chromosome segregation in eukaryotes. It assembles onto centromere DNA and interacts with spindle microtubules during mitosis and meiosis. Although most eukaryotes have canonical kinetochore proteins, kinetochores of evolutionarily divergent kinetoplastid species consist of at least 20 unconventional kinetochore proteins (KKT1–20). In addition, 12 proteins (KKT-interacting proteins 1–12, KKIP1–12) are known to localize at kinetochore regions during mitosis. It remains unclear whether KKIP proteins interact with KKT proteins. Here, we report the identification of four additional kinetochore proteins, KKT22–25, in Trypanosoma brucei. KKT22 and KKT23 constitutively localize at kinetochores, while KKT24 and KKT25 localize from S phase to anaphase. KKT23 has a Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase domain, which is not found in any kinetochore protein known to date. We also show that KKIP1 co-purifies with KKT proteins, but not with KKIP proteins. Finally, our affinity purification of KKIP2/3/4/6 identifies a number of proteins as their potential interaction partners, many of which are implicated in RNA binding or processing. These findings further support the idea that kinetoplastid kinetochores are unconventional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga O Nerusheva
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Patryk Ludzia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Bungo Akiyoshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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20
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The mammalian kinetochore-microtubule interface: robust mechanics and computation with many microtubules. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2019; 60:60-67. [PMID: 31132675 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The kinetochore drives chromosome segregation at cell division. It acts as a physical link between chromosomes and dynamic microtubules, and as a signaling hub detecting and processing microtubule attachments to control anaphase onset. The mammalian kinetochore is a large macromolecular machine that forms a dynamic interface with the many microtubules that it binds. While we know most of the kinetochore's component parts, how they work together to give rise to its robust functions remains poorly understood. Here we highlight recent findings that shed light on this question, driven by an expanding physical and molecular toolkit. We present emerging principles that underlie the kinetochore's robust microtubule grip, such as redundancy, specialization, and dynamicity, and present signal processing principles that connect this microtubule grip to robust computation. Throughout, we identify open questions, and define simple engineering concepts that provide insight into kinetochore function.
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21
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Abstract
The emergence of eukaryotes from ancient prokaryotic lineages embodied a remarkable increase in cellular complexity. While prokaryotes operate simple systems to connect DNA to the segregation machinery during cell division, eukaryotes use a highly complex protein assembly known as the kinetochore. Although conceptually similar, prokaryotic segregation systems and the eukaryotic kinetochore are not homologous. Here we investigate the origins of the kinetochore before the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) using phylogenetic trees, sensitive profile-versus-profile homology detection, and structural comparisons of its protein components. We show that LECA's kinetochore proteins share deep evolutionary histories with proteins involved in a few prokaryotic systems and a multitude of eukaryotic processes, including ubiquitination, transcription, and flagellar and vesicular transport systems. We find that gene duplications played a major role in shaping the kinetochore; more than half of LECA's kinetochore proteins have other kinetochore proteins as closest homologs. Some of these have no detectable homology to any other eukaryotic protein, suggesting that they arose as kinetochore-specific folds before LECA. We propose that the primordial kinetochore evolved from proteins involved in various (pre)eukaryotic systems as well as evolutionarily novel folds, after which a subset duplicated to give rise to the complex kinetochore of LECA.
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22
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Hara M, Fukagawa T. Where is the right path heading from the centromere to spindle microtubules? Cell Cycle 2019; 18:1199-1211. [PMID: 31075048 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2019.1617008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The kinetochore is a large protein complex that ensures accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis by connecting the centromere and spindle microtubules. One of the kinetochore sub-complexes, the constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN), associates with the centromere and recruits another sub-complex, the KMN (KNL1, Mis12, and Ndc80 complexes) network (KMN), which binds to spindle microtubules. The CCAN-KMN interaction is mediated by two parallel pathways (CENP-C- and CENP-T-pathways) in the kinetochore, which bridge the centromere and microtubules. Here, we discuss dynamic protein-interaction changes in the two pathways that couple the centromere with spindle microtubules during mitotic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatoshi Hara
- a Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences , Osaka University , Suita , Japan
| | - Tatsuo Fukagawa
- a Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences , Osaka University , Suita , Japan
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23
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Dinoflagellate nucleus contains an extensive endomembrane network, the nuclear net. Sci Rep 2019; 9:839. [PMID: 30696854 PMCID: PMC6351617 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37065-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dinoflagellates are some of the most common eukaryotic cells in the ocean, but have very unusual nuclei. Many exhibit a form of closed mitosis (dinomitosis) wherein the nuclear envelope (NE) invaginates to form one or more trans-nuclear tunnels. Rather than contact spindles directly, the chromatids then bind to membrane-based kinetochores on the NE. To better understand these unique mitotic features, we reconstructed the nuclear architecture of Polykrikos kofoidii in 3D using focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) in conjunction with high-pressure freezing, freeze-substitution, TEM, and confocal microscopy. We found that P. kofoidii possessed six nuclear tunnels, which were continuous with a reticulating network of membranes that has thus far gone unnoticed. These membranous extensions interconnect the six tunnels while ramifying throughout the nucleus to form a “nuclear net.” To our knowledge, the nuclear net is the most elaborate endomembrane structure described within a nucleus. Our findings demonstrate the utility of tomographic approaches for detecting 3D membrane networks and show that nuclear complexity has been underestimated in Polykrikos kofoidii and, potentially, in other dinoflagellates.
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24
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Oliveira L, Neumann P, Jang TS, Klemme S, Schubert V, Koblížková A, Houben A, Macas J. Mitotic Spindle Attachment to the Holocentric Chromosomes of Cuscuta europaea Does Not Correlate With the Distribution of CENH3 Chromatin. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1799. [PMID: 32038700 PMCID: PMC6992598 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The centromere is the region on a chromosome where the kinetochore assembles and spindle microtubules attach during mitosis and meiosis. In the vast majority of eukaryotes, the centromere position is determined epigenetically by the presence of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENH3. In species with monocentric chromosomes, CENH3 is confined to a single chromosomal region corresponding to the primary constriction on metaphase chromosomes. By contrast, in holocentrics, CENH3 (and thus centromere activity) is distributed along the entire chromosome length. Here, we report a unique pattern of CENH3 distribution in the holocentric plant Cuscuta europaea. This species expressed two major variants of CENH3, both of which were deposited into one to three discrete regions per chromosome, whereas the rest of the chromatin appeared to be devoid of CENH3. The two CENH3 variants fully co-localized, and their immunodetection signals overlapped with the positions of DAPI-positive heterochromatic bands containing the highly amplified satellite repeat CUS-TR24. This CENH3 distribution pattern contrasted with the distribution of the mitotic spindle microtubules, which attached at uniform density along the entire chromosome length. This distribution of spindle attachment sites proves the holocentric nature of C. europaea chromosomes and also suggests that, in this species, CENH3 either lost its function or acts in parallel to an additional CENH3-free mechanism of kinetochore positioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila Oliveira
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Pavel Neumann
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Tae-Soo Jang
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Sonja Klemme
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Veit Schubert
- Department of Breeding Research, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Andrea Koblížková
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Andreas Houben
- Department of Breeding Research, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Jiří Macas
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, České Budějovice, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Jiří Macas,
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25
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Llauró A, Hayashi H, Bailey ME, Wilson A, Ludzia P, Asbury CL, Akiyoshi B. The kinetoplastid kinetochore protein KKT4 is an unconventional microtubule tip-coupling protein. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:3886-3900. [PMID: 30209069 PMCID: PMC6219724 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201711181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily divergent class of kinetoplastid organisms has a set of unconventional kinetochore proteins that drive chromosome segregation, but it is unclear which components interact with spindle microtubules. Llauró et al. now identify KKT4 as the first microtubule-binding kinetochore protein in Trypanosoma brucei, a major human pathogenic parasite. Kinetochores are multiprotein machines that drive chromosome segregation by maintaining persistent, load-bearing linkages between chromosomes and dynamic microtubule tips. Kinetochores in commonly studied eukaryotes bind microtubules through widely conserved components like the Ndc80 complex. However, in evolutionarily divergent kinetoplastid species such as Trypanosoma brucei, which causes sleeping sickness, the kinetochores assemble from a unique set of proteins lacking homology to any known microtubule-binding domains. Here, we show that the T. brucei kinetochore protein KKT4 binds directly to microtubules and maintains load-bearing attachments to both growing and shortening microtubule tips. The protein localizes both to kinetochores and to spindle microtubules in vivo, and its depletion causes defects in chromosome segregation. We define a microtubule-binding domain within KKT4 and identify several charged residues important for its microtubule-binding activity. Thus, despite its lack of significant similarity to other known microtubule-binding proteins, KKT4 has key functions required for driving chromosome segregation. We propose that it represents a primary element of the kinetochore–microtubule interface in kinetoplastids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Llauró
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Hanako Hayashi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Megan E Bailey
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Alex Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Patryk Ludzia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Charles L Asbury
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Bungo Akiyoshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Talbert PB, Henikoff S. Transcribing Centromeres: Noncoding RNAs and Kinetochore Assembly. Trends Genet 2018; 34:587-599. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Kinetochore assembly and disassembly during mitotic entry and exit. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2018; 52:73-81. [PMID: 29477052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis in eukaryotes requires a large protein complex, kinetochore, formed on the centromere of each chromosome, to attach to spindle microtubules. Among the kinetochore proteins, Constitutive Centromere-Associated Network (CCAN) and KMN-network proteins form the base of the vertebrate kinetochore architecture. The CCAN proteins constitutively localize to the centromere throughout the cell cycle, whereas KMN-network proteins are recruited to the CCAN only during mitosis. Recent studies in cellular and structural biology, as well as biochemical reconstitutions, have revealed that mitotic phosphorylation of kinetochore proteins has critical roles in kinetochore organization. Here, we discuss the molecular processes of kinetochore assembly during mitotic entry and its disassembly during mitotic exit.
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Mills WE, Spence JM, Fukagawa T, Farr CJ. Site-Specific Cleavage by Topoisomerase 2: A Mark of the Core Centromere. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E534. [PMID: 29439406 PMCID: PMC5855756 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19020534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to its roles in transcription and replication, topoisomerase 2 (topo 2) is crucial in shaping mitotic chromosomes and in ensuring the orderly separation of sister chromatids. As well as its recruitment throughout the length of the mitotic chromosome, topo 2 accumulates at the primary constriction. Here, following cohesin release, the enzymatic activity of topo 2 acts to remove residual sister catenations. Intriguingly, topo 2 does not bind and cleave all sites in the genome equally; one preferred site of cleavage is within the core centromere. Discrete topo 2-centromeric cleavage sites have been identified in α-satellite DNA arrays of active human centromeres and in the centromere regions of some protozoans. In this study, we show that topo 2 cleavage sites are also a feature of the centromere in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the metazoan Drosophila melanogaster and in another vertebrate species, Gallus gallus (chicken). In vertebrates, we show that this site-specific cleavage is diminished by depletion of CENP-I, an essential constitutive centromere protein. The presence, within the core centromere of a wide range of eukaryotes, of precise sites hypersensitive to topo 2 cleavage suggests that these mark a fundamental and conserved aspect of this functional domain, such as a non-canonical secondary structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter E Mills
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Jennifer M Spence
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Tatsuo Fukagawa
- Laboratory of Chromosome Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Christine J Farr
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
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