Op18 reveals the contribution of nonkinetochore microtubules to the dynamic organization of the vertebrate meiotic spindle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009;106:15338-15343. [PMID: 19706424 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0902317106]

Tubulin post-translational modifications in meiosis

Haploid gametes are produced from diploid parents through meiosis, a process inherent to all sexually reproducing eukaryotes. Faithful chromosome segregation in meiosis is essential for reproductive success, although it is less clear how the meiotic spindle achieves this compared to the mitotic spindle. It is becoming increasingly clear that tubulin post-translational modifications (PTMs) play critical roles in regulating microtubule functions in many biological processes, and meiosis is no exception. Here, I review recent advances in the understanding of tubulin PTMs in meiotic spindles, especially focusing on their roles in spindle integrity, oocyte aging, and non-Mendelian transmission.

The human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 tax oncoprotein dissociates NF-κB p65RelA-Stathmin complexes and causes catastrophic mitotic spindle damage and genomic instability

Genomic instability is a hallmark of many cancers; however, the molecular etiology of chromosomal dysregulation is not well understood. The human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) oncoprotein Tax activates NF-κB-signaling and induces DNA-damage and aberrant chromosomal segregation through diverse mechanisms which contribute to viral carcinogenesis. Intriguingly, Stathmin/oncoprotein-18 (Op-18) depolymerizes tubulin and interacts with the p65^RelA subunit and functions as a cofactor for NF-κB-dependent transactivation. We thus hypothesized that the dissociation of p65^RelA-Stathmin/Op-18 complexes by Tax could lead to the catastrophic destabilization of microtubule (MT) spindle fibers during mitosis and provide a novel mechanistic link between NF-κB-signaling and genomic instability. Here we report that the inhibition of Stathmin expression by the retroviral latency protein, p30^II, or knockdown with siRNA-stathmin, dampens Tax-mediated NF-κB transactivation and counters Tax-induced genomic instability and cytotoxicity. The Tax-G148V mutant, defective for NF-κB activation, exhibited reduced p65^RelA-Stathmin binding and diminished genomic instability and cytotoxicity. Dominant-negative inhibitors of NF-κB also prevented Tax-induced multinucleation and apoptosis. Moreover, cell clones containing the infectious HTLV-1 ACH. p30^II mutant provirus, impaired for p30^II production, exhibited increased multinucleation and the accumulation of cytoplasmic tubulin aggregates following nocodozole-treatment. These findings allude to a mechanism whereby NF-κB-signaling regulates tubulin dynamics and mitotic instability through the modulation of p65^RelA-Stathmin/Op-18 interactions, and support the notion that p30^II enhances the survival of Tax-expressing HTLV-1-transformed cells.

Poly(ADP-ribose) mediates asymmetric division of mouse oocyte

Before fertilization, mammalian oocyte undergoes an asymmetric division which depends on eccentric positioning of the spindle at the oocyte cortex to form a polar body and an egg. Since the centriole is absent and, as a result, the polar array microtubules are not fully developed in oocytes, microtubules have seldom been considered as required for eccentric positioning of the spindle, while actin-related forces have instead been proposed to be primarily responsible for this process. However, the existing models are largely conflicting and the underlying mechanism of asymmetric division is still elusive. Here we show that poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) is enriched at mouse oocyte cortical area throughout meiosis. Specific removal of cortical PAR results in an ectopic spindle and a failure of asymmetric division. During spindle migration, when the spindle deviates from the center of oocyte by a pushing force of cytoplasmic actin, the short polar array microtubules emanating from the juxtacortical spindle pole extend to the cortex and penetrate into cortical PAR, docking and stabilizing the spindle at the cortex which facilitates the asymmetric division. This process depends on the affinity between PAR and microtubule-associated proteins such as Spindly, which contributes to a physical link for cortical PAR and the spindle. Notably, fusing a PAR-binding domain to end-binding protein 3, a plus-end tracking protein at the polar array microtubules, restores the asymmetric division of oocytes with Spindly knockdown. Thus, our work demonstrates a comprehensive mechanism for oocyte spindle positioning and asymmetric division.

Distinct Roles of the Chromosomal Passenger Complex in the Detection of and Response to Errors in Kinetochore-Microtubule Attachment

The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) localizes to centromeres in early mitosis to activate its subunit Aurora B kinase. However, it is unclear whether centromeric CPC localization contributes to CPC functions beyond Aurora B activation. Here, we show that an activated CPC that cannot localize to centromeres supports functional assembly of the outer kinetochore but is unable to correct errors in kinetochore-microtubule attachment in Xenopus egg extracts. We find that CPC has two distinct roles at centromeres: one to selectively phosphorylate Ndc80 to regulate attachment and a second, conserved kinase-independent role in the proper composition of inner kinetochore proteins. Although a fully assembled inner kinetochore is not required for outer kinetochore assembly, we find it is essential to recruit tension indicators, such as BubR1 and 3F3/2, to erroneous attachments. We conclude centromeric CPC is necessary for tension-dependent removal of erroneous attachments and for the kinetochore composition required to detect tension loss.

Kinetochore-microtubule stability governs the metaphase requirement for Eg5

The importance of Eg5 at metaphase is linked to kinetochore-microtubule stability: short-lived kinetochore-microtubules impose a need for Eg5 in bipolar spindle maintenance, but longer-lived kinetochore-microtubules do not. Kinetochore-microtubule dynamics defines their contribution to force balance in the metaphase spindle.

The mitotic spindle is a bipolar, microtubule (MT)-based cellular machine that segregates the duplicated genome into two daughter cells. The kinesin-5 Eg5 establishes the bipolar geometry of the mitotic spindle, but previous work in mammalian cells suggested that this motor is unimportant for the maintenance of spindle bipolarity. Although it is known that Kif15, a second mitotic kinesin, enforces spindle bipolarity in the absence of Eg5, how Kif15 functions in this capacity and/or whether other biochemical or physical properties of the spindle promote its bipolarity have been poorly studied. Here we report that not all human cell lines can efficiently maintain bipolarity without Eg5, despite their expressing Kif15. We show that the stability of chromosome-attached kinetochore-MTs (K-MTs) is important for bipolar spindle maintenance without Eg5. Cells that efficiently maintain bipolar spindles without Eg5 have more stable K-MTs than those that collapse without Eg5. Consistent with this observation, artificial destabilization of K-MTs promotes spindle collapse without Eg5, whereas stabilizing K-MTs improves bipolar spindle maintenance without Eg5. Our findings suggest that either rapid K-MT turnover pulls poles inward or slow K-MT turnover allows for greater resistance to inward-directed forces.

Meiosis I in Xenopus oocytes is not error-prone despite lacking spindle assembly checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint, SAC, is a surveillance mechanism to control the onset of anaphase during cell division. SAC prevents anaphase initiation until all chromosome pairs have achieved bipolar attachment and aligned at the metaphase plate of the spindle. In doing so, SAC is thought to be the key mechanism to prevent chromosome nondisjunction in mitosis and meiosis. We have recently demonstrated that Xenopus oocyte meiosis lacks SAC control. This prompted the question of whether Xenopus oocyte meiosis is particularly error-prone. In this study, we have karyotyped a total of 313 Xenopus eggs following in vitro oocyte maturation. We found no hyperploid egg, out of 204 metaphase II eggs with countable chromosome spreads. Therefore, chromosome nondisjunction is very rare during Xenopus oocyte meiosis I, despite the lack of SAC.

Using micromanipulation to analyze control of vertebrate meiotic spindle size

The polymerization/depolymerization dynamics of microtubules (MTs) have been reported to contribute to control of the size and shape of spindles, but quantitative analysis of how the size and shape correlate with the amount and density of MTs in the spindle remains incomplete. Here, we measured these parameters using 3D microscopy of meiotic spindles that self-organized in Xenopus egg extracts and presented a simple equation describing the relationship among these parameters. To examine the validity of the equation, we cut the spindle into two fragments along the pole-to-pole axis by micromanipulation techniques that rapidly decrease the amount of MTs. The spheroidal shape spontaneously recovered within 5 min, but the size of each fragment remained small. The equation we obtained quantitatively describes how the spindle size correlates with the amount of MTs while maintaining the shape and the MT density.

Chromatin-bound Xenopus Dppa2 shapes the nucleus by locally inhibiting microtubule assembly

Nuclear shape and size vary between species, during development, and in many tissue pathologies, but the causes and effects of these differences remain poorly understood. During fertilization, sperm nuclei undergo a dramatic conversion from a heavily compacted form into decondensed, spherical pronuclei, accompanied by rapid nucleation of microtubules from centrosomes. Here we report that the assembly of the spherical nucleus depends on a critical balance of microtubule dynamics, which is regulated by the chromatin-binding protein Developmental pluripotency-associated 2 (Dppa2). Whereas microtubules normally promote sperm pronuclear expansion, in Dppa2-depleted Xenopus egg extracts excess microtubules cause pronuclear assembly defects, leading to abnormal morphology and disorganized DNA replication. Dppa2 inhibits microtubule polymerization in vitro, and Dppa2 activity is needed at a precise time and location during nascent pronuclear formation. This demonstrates a strict spatiotemporal requirement for local suppression of microtubules during nuclear formation, fulfilled by chromatin-bound microtubule regulators.

Role of Oncoprotein 18 in metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To explore the role of Oncoprotein 18 (Op18) in metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: Op18 expression was repressed in HCCLM3 cells by RNA interference, and interference effect was evaluated by RT-PCR and Western blot. Cell adhesion, migration and invasion were analyzed by cell adhesion assay and Transwell assay in vitro. Op18 expression was detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in 96 HCC specimens with or without metastasis.

RESULTS: Op18 expression was effectively inhibited by RNA interference in HCCLM3 cells. Cell adhesion was significantly suppressed in the RNAi group compared to the mock group (20 min: 0.616 ± 0.057 vs 0.944 ± 0.068; 40 min: 0.740 ± 0.0713 vs 1.196 ± 0.115; 60 min: 1.001 ± 0.083 vs 1.441 ± 0.053; all P < 0.05). Transwell assay revealed that cell migration and invasion decreased in the RNAi group compared to the mock group (migration: 0.145 ± 0.011 vs 0.206 ± 0.008; invasion: 0.127 ± 0.008 vs 0.168 ± 0.012; both P < 0.01). Op18 expression was detected in 96 HCC tissues with or without metastasis. RT-PCR demonstrated that Op18 was overexpressed in HCC tissues with metastasis (n = 48) compared with HCC tissues without metastasis (n = 48, Op18/GAPDH relative ratio: 0.560 ± 0.128 vs 0.414 ± 0.086); and IHC results also indicated that Op18 expression was up-regulated in HCC tissues with metastasis in comparison with HCC tissues without metastasis (integrated density: 624.771 ± 100.032 vs 413.786 ± 71.833, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Overexpression of Op18 may play an important role in HCC metastasis.

Aurora B regulates spindle bipolarity in meiosis in vertebrate oocytes

Aurora B (Aur-B) plays multiple roles in mitosis, of which the best known are to ensure bi-orientation of sister chromatids by destabilizing incorrectly attached kinetochore microtubules and to participate in cytokinesis. Studies in Xenopus egg extracts, however, have indicated that Aur-B and the chromosome passenger complex play an important role in stabilizing chromosome-associated spindle microtubules. Aur-B stabilizes spindle microtubules in the egg extracts by inhibiting the catastrophe kinesin MCAK. Whether or not Aur-B plays a similar role in intact oocytes remains unknown. Here we have employed a dominant-negative Aur-B mutant (Aur-B122R, in which the ATP-binding lysine(122) is replaced with arginine) to investigate the function of Aur-B in spindle assembly in Xenopus oocytes undergoing meiosis. Overexpression of Aur-B122R results in short bipolar spindles or monopolar spindles, with higher concentrations of Aur-B122R producing mostly the latter. Simultaneous inhibition of MCAK translation in oocytes overexpressing Aur-B122R results in suppression of monopolar phenotype, suggesting that Aur-B regulates spindle bipolarity by inhibiting MCAK. Furthermore, recombinant MCAK-4A protein, which lacks all four Aur-B phosphoryaltion sites and is therefore insensitive to Aur-B inhibition but not wild-type MCAK, recapitulated the monopolar phenotype in the oocytes. These results suggest that in vertebrate oocytes that lack centrosomes, one major function of Aur-B is to stabilize chromosome-associated spindle microtubules to ensure spindle bipolarity.

Deformations within moving kinetochores reveal different sites of active and passive force generation

Kinetochores mediate chromosome segregation at mitosis. They are thought to contain both active, force-producing and passive, frictional interfaces with microtubules whose relative locations have been unclear. We inferred mechanical deformation within single kinetochores during metaphase oscillations by measuring average separations between fluorescently labeled kinetochore subunits in living cells undergoing mitosis. Inter-subunit distances were shorter in kinetochores moving toward poles than in those moving away. Inter-subunit separation decreased abruptly when kinetochores switched to poleward movement and decreased further when pulling force increased, suggesting that active force generation during poleward movement compresses kinetochores. The data revealed an active force-generating interface within kinetochores and a separate passive frictional interface located at least 20 nanometers away poleward. Together, these interfaces allow persistent attachment with intermittent active force generation.

Polar body emission

Generation of a haploid female germ cell, the egg, consists of two rounds of asymmetric cell division (meiosis I and meiosis II), yielding two diminutive and nonviable polar bodies and a large haploid egg. Animal eggs are also unique in the lack of centrioles and therefore form meiotic spindles without the pre-existence of the two dominant microtubule organizing centers (centrosomes) found in mitosis. Meiotic spindle assembly is further complicated by the unique requirement of sister chromatid mono-oriented in meiosis I. Nonetheless, the eggs appear to adopt many of the same proteins and mechanisms described in mitosis, with necessary modifications to accommodate their special needs. Unraveling these special modifications will not only help understanding animal reproduction, but should also enhance our understanding of cell division in general.

Microneedle-based analysis of the micromechanics of the metaphase spindle assembled in Xenopus laevis egg extracts

To explain how micrometer-sized cellular structures generate and respond to forces, we need to characterize their micromechanical properties. Here we provide a protocol to build and use a dual force-calibrated microneedle-based setup to quantitatively analyze the micromechanics of a metaphase spindle assembled in Xenopus laevis egg extracts. This cell-free extract system allows for controlled biochemical perturbations of spindle components. We describe how the microneedles are prepared and how they can be used to apply and measure forces. A multimode imaging system allows the tracking of microtubules, chromosomes and needle tips. This setup can be used to analyze the viscoelastic properties of the spindle on timescales ranging from minutes to sub-seconds. A typical experiment, along with data analysis, is also detailed. We anticipate that our protocol can be readily extended to analyze the micromechanics of other cellular structures assembled in cell-free extracts. The entire procedure can take 3-4 d.

Katanin contributes to interspecies spindle length scaling in Xenopus

Bipolar spindles must separate chromosomes by the appropriate distance during cell division, but mechanisms determining spindle length are poorly understood. Based on a 2D model of meiotic spindle assembly, we predicted that higher localized microtubule (MT) depolymerization rates could generate the shorter spindles observed in egg extracts of X. tropicalis compared to X. laevis. We found that katanin-dependent MT severing was increased in X. tropicalis, which, unlike X. laevis, lacks an inhibitory phosphorylation site in the katanin p60 catalytic subunit. Katanin inhibition lengthened spindles in both species. In X. tropicalis, k-fiber MT bundles that connect to chromosomes at their kinetochores extended through spindle poles, disrupting them. In both X. tropicalis extracts and the spindle simulation, a balance between k-fiber number and MT depolymerization is required to maintain spindle morphology. Thus, mechanisms have evolved in different species to scale spindle size and coordinate regulation of multiple MT populations in order to generate a robust steady-state structure.

plusTipTracker: Quantitative image analysis software for the measurement of microtubule dynamics

Here we introduce plusTipTracker, a Matlab-based open source software package that combines automated tracking, data analysis, and visualization tools for movies of fluorescently-labeled microtubule (MT) plus end binding proteins (+TIPs). Although +TIPs mark only phases of MT growth, the plusTipTracker software allows inference of additional MT dynamics, including phases of pause and shrinkage, by linking collinear, sequential growth tracks. The algorithm underlying the reconstruction of full MT trajectories relies on the spatially and temporally global tracking framework described in Jaqaman et al. (2008). Post-processing of track populations yields a wealth of quantitative phenotypic information about MT network architecture that can be explored using several visualization modalities and bioinformatics tools included in plusTipTracker. Graphical user interfaces enable novice Matlab users to track thousands of MTs in minutes. In this paper, we describe the algorithms used by plusTipTracker and show how the package can be used to study regional differences in the relative proportion of MT subpopulations within a single cell. The strategy of grouping +TIP growth tracks for the analysis of MT dynamics has been introduced before (Matov et al., 2010). The numerical methods and analytical functionality incorporated in plusTipTracker substantially advance this previous work in terms of flexibility and robustness. To illustrate the enhanced performance of the new software we thus compare computer-assembled +TIP-marked trajectories to manually-traced MT trajectories from the same movie used in Matov et al. (2010).

Insights into the micromechanical properties of the metaphase spindle

The microtubule-based metaphase spindle is subjected to forces that act in diverse orientations and over a wide range of timescales. Currently, we cannot explain how this dynamic structure generates and responds to forces while maintaining overall stability, as we have a poor understanding of its micromechanical properties. Here, we combine the use of force-calibrated needles, high-resolution microscopy, and biochemical perturbations to analyze the vertebrate metaphase spindle's timescale- and orientation-dependent viscoelastic properties. We find that spindle viscosity depends on microtubule crosslinking and density. Spindle elasticity can be linked to kinetochore and nonkinetochore microtubule rigidity, and also to spindle pole organization by kinesin-5 and dynein. These data suggest a quantitative model for the micromechanics of this cytoskeletal architecture and provide insight into how structural and functional stability is maintained in the face of forces, such as those that control spindle size and position, and can result from deformations associated with chromosome movement.

Augmin promotes meiotic spindle formation and bipolarity in Xenopus egg extracts

Female meiotic spindles in many organisms form in the absence of centrosomes, the organelle typically associated with microtubule (MT) nucleation. Previous studies have proposed that these meiotic spindles arise from RanGTP-mediated MT nucleation in the vicinity of chromatin; however, whether this process is sufficient for spindle formation is unknown. Here, we investigated whether a recently proposed spindle-based MT nucleation pathway that involves augmin, an 8-subunit protein complex, also contributes to spindle morphogenesis. We used an assay system in which hundreds of meiotic spindles can be observed forming around chromatin-coated beads after introduction of Xenopus egg extracts. Spindles forming in augmin-depleted extracts showed reduced rates of MT formation and were predominantly multipolar, revealing a function of augmin in stabilizing the bipolar shape of the acentrosomal meiotic spindle. Our studies also have uncovered an apparent augmin-independent MT nucleation process from acentrosomal poles, which becomes increasingly active over time and appears to partially rescue the spindle defects that arise from augmin depletion. Our studies reveal that spatially and temporally distinct MT generation pathways from chromatin, spindle MTs, and acentrosomal poles all contribute to robust bipolar spindle formation in meiotic extracts.

Fluorescent speckle microscopy

INTRODUCTION

Fluorescent speckle microscopy (FSM) is a live imaging and quantitative measurement technique used for analyzing motion and turnover of macromolecular assemblies in vivo and in vitro. It differs from related imaging techniques such as photobleaching and photoactivation in its use of substantially lower concentrations of fluorescently labeled assembly subunits. When small numbers of labeled subunits and large numbers of unlabeled subunits become randomly incorporated together into a macromolecular structure, the random distribution of fluorophores generates nonuniform fluorescence intensity patterns that appear as distinct puncta against low background fluorescence. These puncta, called speckles, serve as fiduciary markers so that motion and turnover of the structure are visualized. Computational analysis of speckle image data transforms FSM into a powerful tool for high-resolution quantitative analysis of macromolecular assembly dynamics. Successful application of FSM depends on the ability to reliably generate and image speckles, which are characterized by their weak emission signals, and to effectively extract quantitative information through computational analysis of speckle image data, which are characterized by their stochastic fluctuations, low signal-to-noise ratios, and high spatiotemporal complexity. This article aims to provide a practical introduction to basic principles, experimental implementation, and computational data analysis of FSM. Examples are used to show the application of FSM in analyzing the dynamic organization and assembly/disassembly of cytoskeletal filament networks, an area in which FSM analysis has found great success.

A computational model predicts Xenopus meiotic spindle organization

Spatially dispersed nucleation and minus end–directed transport of microtubule end disassembly activity can lead to bipolar spindle assembly.

The metaphase spindle is a dynamic bipolar structure crucial for proper chromosome segregation, but how microtubules (MTs) are organized within the bipolar architecture remains controversial. To explore MT organization along the pole-to-pole axis, we simulated meiotic spindle assembly in two dimensions using dynamic MTs, a MT cross-linking force, and a kinesin-5–like motor. The bipolar structures that form consist of antiparallel fluxing MTs, but spindle pole formation requires the addition of a NuMA-like minus-end cross-linker and directed transport of MT depolymerization activity toward minus ends. Dynamic instability and minus-end depolymerization generate realistic MT lifetimes and a truncated exponential MT length distribution. Keeping the number of MTs in the simulation constant, we explored the influence of two different MT nucleation pathways on spindle organization. When nucleation occurs throughout the spindle, the simulation quantitatively reproduces features of meiotic spindles assembled in Xenopus egg extracts.

p38α MAPK is a MTOC-associated protein regulating spindle assembly, spindle length and accurate chromosome segregation during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation

P38αMAPK (p38α) is usually activated in response to various stresses and plays a role in the inhibition of cell proliferation and tumor progression, but little is known about its roles in meiotic spindle assembly. In this study, we characterized the dynamic localization of p38α and explored its function in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. P38α specifically colocalized with γ-tubulin and Plk1 at the center of MTOCs and spindle poles. Depletion of p38α by specific morpholino injection resulted in severely defective spindles and misaligned chromosomes probably via MK2 dephosphorylation. Notably, depletion of p38α led to significant spindle pole defects, spindle elongation, non-tethered kinetochore microtubules and increased microtubule tension. The disruption of spindle stability was coupled with decreased γ-tubulin and Plk1 at MTOCs. Overexpression of Eg5, a conserved motor protein, also caused spindle elongation and its morpholino injection almost completely rescued spindle elongation caused by p38α depletion. In addition, p38α-depletion decreased BubR1 and interfered with spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), which resulted in aneuploid oocytes. Together, these data indicate that p38α is an important component of MTOCs, which regulates spindle assembly and spindle length, as well as stabilizes the spindle and spindle poles. Perturbed SAC and abnormal microtubule tension may be responsible for the misaligned chromosomes and high aneuploidy in p38α-depleted mouse oocytes.

Interplay of microtubule dynamics and sliding during bipolar spindle formation in mammalian cells

Accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis relies on the organization of microtubules into a bipolar spindle. Kinesin-5 proteins play an evolutionarily conserved role in establishing spindle bipolarity [1, 2] and clinical trials are currently evaluating inhibitors of human kinesin-5 (i.e., Eg5) for chemotherapeutic potential. However, in mammalian somatic cells, Eg5 activity is dispensable for maintenance of bipolar spindles once they are formed [3, 4], suggesting distinct requirements for establishment versus maintenance of spindle bipolarity. By combining Eg5 inhibition with RNA interference of other spindle proteins, we show that mitotic cells deficient in MCAK fail to maintain spindle bipolarity in the absence of Eg5 activity. Collapse of bipolar spindles in MCAK-deficient cells is driven by pole-focusing activities and is independent of MCAK function at centromeres, implicating hyperstabilized non-kinetochore microtubules in spindle collapse. Conversely, destabilizing nonkinetochore microtubules in early mitosis reduces the reliance on Eg5 for establishment of spindle bipolarity and renders cells partially resistant to Eg5 inhibitors. Thus, the temporal requirement for microtubule sliding generated by Eg5 activity during bipolar spindle assembly in mammalian cells is regulated by changes in the dynamic behavior of microtubules during mitosis.

Upregulated Op18/stathmin activity causes chromosomal instability through a mechanism that evades the spindle assembly checkpoint

Op18/stathmin (Op18) is a microtubule-destabilizing protein that is phosphorylation-inactivated during mitosis and its normal function is to govern tubulin subunit partitioning during interphase. Human tumors frequently overexpress Op18 and a tumor-associated Q18-->E mutation has been identified that confers hyperactivity, destabilizes spindle microtubules, and causes mitotic aberrancies, polyploidization, and chromosome loss in K562 leukemia cells. Here we determined whether wild-type and mutant Op18 have the potential to cause chromosomal instability by some means other than interference with spindle assembly, and thereby bypassing the spindle assembly checkpoint. Our approach was based on Op18 derivatives with distinct temporal order of activity during mitosis, conferred either by differential phosphorylation inactivation or by anaphase-specific degradation through fusion with the destruction box of cyclin B1. We present evidence that excessive Op18 activity generates chromosomal instability through interference occurring subsequent to the metaphase-to-anaphase transition, which reduces the fidelity of chromosome segregation to spindle poles during anaphase. Similar to uncorrected merotelic attachment, this mechanism evades detection by the spindle assembly checkpoint and thus provides an additional route to chromosomal instability.