ISWI remodeling complexes in Xenopus egg extracts: identification as major chromosomal components that are regulated by INCENP-aurora B

The second half of mitosis and its implications in cancer biology

The nucleus undergoes dramatic structural and functional changes during cell division. With the entry into mitosis, in human cells the nuclear envelope breaks down, chromosomes rearrange into rod-like structures which are collected and segregated by the spindle apparatus. While these processes in the first half of mitosis have been intensively studied, much less is known about the second half of mitosis, when a functional nucleus reforms in each of the emerging cells. Here we review our current understanding of mitotic exit and nuclear reformation with spotlights on the links to cancer biology.

Cell cycle-specific loading of condensin I is regulated by the N-terminal tail of its kleisin subunit

Condensin I is a pentameric protein complex that plays an essential role in mitotic chromosome assembly in eukaryotic cells. Although it has been shown that condensin I loading is mitosis specific, it remains poorly understood how the robust cell cycle regulation of condensin I is achieved. Here, we set up a panel of in vitro assays to demonstrate that cell cycle-specific loading of condensin I is regulated by the N-terminal tail (N-tail) of its kleisin subunit CAP-H. Deletion of the N-tail accelerates condensin I loading and chromosome assembly in Xenopus egg mitotic extracts. Phosphorylation-deficient and phosphorylation-mimetic mutations in the CAP-H N-tail decelerate and accelerate condensin I loading, respectively. Remarkably, deletion of the N-tail enables condensin I to assemble mitotic chromosome-like structures even in interphase extracts. Together with other extract-free functional assays in vitro, our results uncover one of the multilayered mechanisms that ensure cell cycle-specific loading of condensin I onto chromosomes.

BAZ1B the Protean Protein

The bromodomain adjacent to the zinc finger domain 1B (BAZ1B) or Williams syndrome transcription factor (WSTF) are just two of the names referring the same protein that is encoded by the WBSCR9 gene and is among the 26-28 genes that are lost from one copy of 7q11.23 in Williams syndrome (WS: OMIM 194050). Patients afflicted by this contiguous gene deletion disorder present with a range of symptoms including cardiovascular complications, developmental defects as well as a characteristic cognitive and behavioral profile. Studies in patients with atypical deletions and mouse models support BAZ1B hemizygosity as a contributing factor to some of the phenotypes. Focused analysis on BAZ1B has revealed this to be a versatile nuclear protein with a central role in chromatin remodeling through two distinct complexes as well as being involved in the replication and repair of DNA, transcriptional processes involving RNA Polymerases I, II, and III as well as possessing kinase activity. Here, we provide a comprehensive review to summarize the many aspects of BAZ1B function including its recent link to cancer.

Cohesin Removal Reprograms Gene Expression upon Mitotic Entry

As cells enter mitosis, the genome is restructured to facilitate chromosome segregation, accompanied by dramatic changes in gene expression. However, the mechanisms that underlie mitotic transcriptional regulation are unclear. In contrast to transcribed genes, centromere regions retain transcriptionally active RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in mitosis. Here, we demonstrate that chromatin-bound cohesin is necessary to retain elongating Pol II at centromeres. We find that WAPL-mediated removal of cohesin from chromosome arms during prophase is required for the dissociation of Pol II and nascent transcripts, and failure of this process dramatically alters mitotic gene expression. Removal of cohesin/Pol II from chromosome arms in prophase is important for accurate chromosome segregation and normal activation of gene expression in G1. We propose that prophase cohesin removal is a key step in reprogramming gene expression as cells transition from G2 through mitosis to G1.

Quantitative Proteomics of the Mitotic Chromosome Scaffold Reveals the Association of BAZ1B with Chromosomal Axes

In mitosis, chromosomes achieve their characteristic shape through condensation, an essential process for proper segregation of the genome during cell division. A classical model for mitotic chromosome condensation proposes that non-histone proteins act as a structural framework called the chromosome scaffold. The components of the chromosome scaffold, such as DNA topoisomerase IIα (TOP2A) and structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 2 (SMC2), are necessary to generate stable mitotic chromosomes; however, the existence of this scaffold remains controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the protein composition of the chromosome scaffold. We used the DT40 chicken cell line to isolate mitotic chromosomes and extract the associated protein fraction, which could contain the chromosome scaffold. MS revealed a novel component of the chromosome scaffold, bromodomain adjacent to zinc finger 1B (BAZ1B), which was localized to the mitotic chromosome axis. Knocking out BAZ1B caused prophase delay because of altered chromosome condensation timing and mitosis progression errors, and the effect was aggravated if BAZ1A, a BAZ1B homolog, was simultaneously knocked out; however, protein composition of prometaphase chromosomes was normal. Our results suggest that BAZ1 proteins are essential for timely chromosome condensation at mitosis entry. Further characterization of the functional role of BAZ1 proteins would provide new insights into the timing of chromosome condensation.

Cdc48/VCP Promotes Chromosome Morphogenesis by Releasing Condensin from Self-Entrapment in Chromatin

The morphological transformation of amorphous chromatin into distinct chromosomes is a hallmark of mitosis. To achieve this, chromatin must be compacted and remodeled by a ring-shaped enzyme complex known as condensin. However, the mechanistic basis underpinning condensin's role in chromosome remodeling has remained elusive. Here we show that condensin has a strong tendency to trap itself in its own reaction product during chromatin compaction and yet is capable of interacting with chromatin in a highly dynamic manner in vivo. To resolve this apparent paradox, we identified specific chromatin remodelers and AAA-class ATPases that act in a coordinated manner to release condensin from chromatin entrapment. The Cdc48 segregase is the central linchpin of this regulatory mechanism and promotes ubiquitin-dependent cycling of condensin on mitotic chromatin as well as effective chromosome condensation. Collectively, our results show that condensin inhibition by its own reaction product is relieved by forceful enzyme extraction from chromatin.

p21-activated kinase 1 activity is required for histone H3 Ser10 phosphorylation and chromatin condensation in mouse oocyte meiosis

p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) is essential for a variety of cellular events, including gene transcription, cytoskeletal organisation, cell proliferation and apoptosis. Pak1 is activated upon autophosphorylation on many amino residues; in particular, phosphorylation on Thr⁴²³ maintains maximal Pak1 activation. In the present study we investigated the protein expression, subcellular localisation and function of Pak1 phosphorylated on Thr⁴²³ (pPak1Thr⁴²³) in mouse oocytes. pPak1Thr⁴²³ was detected upon meiotic resumption and localised on the condensing chromatin. Thr⁴²³ phosphorylation was markedly suppressed by the Pak1 ATP-competitive inhibitor PF-3758309, but not by the allosteric inhibitors IPA-3 (2.5 μM and 10μM) (1, 1'-dithiobis-2-naphthalenol) and TAT-PAK18 (10 μM), which prevent the binding of Pak1 to its upstream activators GTPase Cdc42/Rac and Pak-interacting exchange factor (PIX), respectively, implying that Pak1 activation may be independent of GTPase and PIX in oocyte meiosis. Inhibition of Pak1 activation concomitantly restrained histone H3 phosphorylation on Ser¹⁰ and consequently inhibited chromatin condensation; however, this phenotype was reversed by concomitant administration of the Pak1 activator FTY720. The changes in the pattern of expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in response to PF-3758309 or FTY720 were the same as seen for pPak1Thr⁴²³. These results show that activated Pak1 regulates chromatin condensation by promoting H3 Ser¹⁰ phosphorylation in oocytes after the resumption of meiotic progression.

HELLS and CDCA7 comprise a bipartite nucleosome remodeling complex defective in ICF syndrome

Mutations in CDCA7, the SNF2 family protein HELLS (LSH), or the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3b cause immunodeficiency-centromeric instability-facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome. While it has been speculated that DNA methylation defects cause this disease, little is known about the molecular function of CDCA7 and its functional relationship to HELLS and DNMT3b. Systematic analysis of how the cell cycle, H3K9 methylation, and the mitotic kinase Aurora B affect proteomic profiles of chromatin in Xenopus egg extracts revealed that HELLS and CDCA7 form a stoichiometric complex on chromatin, in a manner sensitive to Aurora B. Although HELLS alone fails to remodel nucleosomes, we demonstrate that the HELLS-CDCA7 complex possesses nucleosome remodeling activity. Furthermore, CDCA7 is essential for loading HELLS onto chromatin, and CDCA7 harboring patient ICF mutations fails to recruit the complex to chromatin. Together, our study identifies a unique bipartite nucleosome remodeling complex where the functional remodeling activity is split between two proteins and thus delineates the defective pathway in ICF syndrome.

Mitotic chromosome assembly despite nucleosome depletion in Xenopus egg extracts

The nucleosome is the fundamental structural unit of eukaryotic chromatin. During mitosis, duplicated nucleosome fibers are organized into a pair of rod-shaped structures (chromatids) within a mitotic chromosome. However, it remains unclear whether nucleosome assembly is indeed an essential prerequisite for mitotic chromosome assembly. We combined mouse sperm nuclei and Xenopus cell-free egg extracts depleted of the histone chaperone Asf1 and found that chromatid-like structures could be assembled even in the near absence of nucleosomes. The resultant "nucleosome-depleted" chromatids contained discrete central axes positive for condensins, although they were more fragile than normal nucleosome-containing chromatids. Combinatorial depletion experiments underscored the central importance of condensins in mitotic chromosome assembly, which sheds light on their functional cross-talk with nucleosomes in this process.

The human Cranio Facial Development Protein 1 (Cfdp1) gene encodes a protein required for the maintenance of higher-order chromatin organization

The human Cranio Facial Development Protein 1 (Cfdp1) gene maps to chromosome 16q22.2-q22.3 and encodes the CFDP1 protein, which belongs to the evolutionarily conserved Bucentaur (BCNT) family. Craniofacial malformations are developmental disorders of particular biomedical and clinical interest, because they represent the main cause of infant mortality and disability in humans, thus it is important to understand the cellular functions and mechanism of action of the CFDP1 protein. We have carried out a multi-disciplinary study, combining cell biology, reverse genetics and biochemistry, to provide the first in vivo characterization of CFDP1 protein functions in human cells. We show that CFDP1 binds to chromatin and interacts with subunits of the SRCAP chromatin remodeling complex. An RNAi-mediated depletion of CFDP1 in HeLa cells affects chromosome organization, SMC2 condensin recruitment and cell cycle progression. Our findings provide new insight into the chromatin functions and mechanisms of the CFDP1 protein and contribute to our understanding of the link between epigenetic regulation and the onset of human complex developmental disorders.

Molecular Mechanism for Chromatin Regulation During MCM Loading in Mammalian Cells

DNA replication is a fundamental process required for the accurate and timely duplication of chromosomes. During late mitosis to G1 phase, the MCM2-7 complex is loaded onto chromatin in a manner dependent on ORC, CDC6, and Cdt1, and chromatin becomes licensed for replication. Although every eukaryotic organism shares common features in replication control, there are also some differences among species. For example, in higher eukaryotic cells including human cells, no strict sequence specificity has been observed for replication origins, unlike budding yeast or bacterial replication origins. Therefore, elements other than beyond DNA sequences are important for regulating replication. For example, the stability and precise positioning of nucleosomes affects replication control. However, little is known about how nucleosome structure is regulated when replication licensing occurs. During the last decade, histone acetylation enzyme HBO1, chromatin remodeler SNF2H, and histone chaperone GRWD1 have been identified as chromatin-handling factors involved in the promotion of replication licensing. In this review, we discuss how the rearrangement of nucleosome formation by these factors affects replication licensing.

A Cell-Free Assay Using Xenopus laevis Embryo Extracts to Study Mechanisms of Nuclear Size Regulation

A fundamental question in cell biology is how cell and organelle sizes are regulated. It has long been recognized that the size of the nucleus generally scales with the size of the cell, notably during embryogenesis when dramatic reductions in both cell and nuclear sizes occur. Mechanisms of nuclear size regulation are largely unknown and may be relevant to cancer where altered nuclear size is a key diagnostic and prognostic parameter. In vivo approaches to identifying nuclear size regulators are complicated by the essential and complex nature of nuclear function. The in vitro approach described here to study nuclear size control takes advantage of the normal reductions in nuclear size that occur during Xenopus laevis development. First, nuclei are assembled in X. laevis egg extract. Then, these nuclei are isolated and resuspended in cytoplasm from late stage embryos. After a 30 - 90 min incubation period, nuclear surface area decreases by 20 - 60%, providing a useful assay to identify cytoplasmic components present in late stage embryos that contribute to developmental nuclear size scaling. A major advantage of this approach is the relative facility with which the egg and embryo extracts can be biochemically manipulated, allowing for the identification of novel proteins and activities that regulate nuclear size. As with any in vitro approach, validation of results in an in vivo system is important, and microinjection of X. laevis embryos is particularly appropriate for these studies.

Nucleosome eviction in mitosis assists condensin loading and chromosome condensation

Condensins associate with DNA and shape mitotic chromosomes. Condensins are enriched nearby highly expressed genes during mitosis, but how this binding is achieved and what features associated with transcription attract condensins remain unclear. Here, we report that condensin accumulates at or in the immediate vicinity of nucleosome-depleted regions during fission yeast mitosis. Two transcriptional coactivators, the Gcn5 histone acetyltransferase and the RSC chromatin-remodelling complex, bind to promoters adjoining condensin-binding sites and locally evict nucleosomes to facilitate condensin binding and allow efficient mitotic chromosome condensation. The function of Gcn5 is closely linked to condensin positioning, since neither the localization of topoisomerase II nor that of the cohesin loader Mis4 is altered in gcn5 mutant cells. We propose that nucleosomes act as a barrier for the initial binding of condensin and that nucleosome-depleted regions formed at highly expressed genes by transcriptional coactivators constitute access points into chromosomes where condensin binds free genomic DNA.

Nuclear Reformation at the End of Mitosis

Cells have developed highly sophisticated ways to accurately pass on their genetic information to the daughter cells. In animal cells, which undergo open mitosis, the nuclear envelope breaks down at the beginning of mitosis and the chromatin massively condenses to be captured and segregated by the mitotic spindle. These events have to be reverted in order to allow the reformation of a nucleus competent for DNA transcription and replication, as well as all other nuclear processes occurring in interphase. Here, we summarize our current knowledge of how, in animal cells, the highly compacted mitotic chromosomes are decondensed at the end of mitosis and how a nuclear envelope, including functional nuclear pore complexes, reassembles around these decondensing chromosomes.

The lysine demethylase LSD1 is required for nuclear envelope formation at the end of mitosis

The metazoan nucleus breaks down and reassembles during each cell division. Upon mitotic exit, the successful reestablishment of an interphase nucleus requires the coordinated reorganization of chromatin and formation of a functional nuclear envelope. Here, we report that the histone demethylase LSD1 (also known as KDM1A) plays a crucial role in nuclear assembly at the end of mitosis. Downregulation of LSD1 in cells extends telophase and impairs nuclear pore complex assembly. In vitro, LSD1 demethylase activity is required for the recruitment of MEL28 (also known as ELYS and AHCTF1) and nuclear envelope precursor vesicles to chromatin, crucial steps in nuclear reassembly. Accordingly, the formation of a closed nuclear envelope and nuclear pore complex assembly are impaired upon depletion of LSD1 or inhibition of its activity. Our results identify histone demethylation by LSD1 as a new regulatory mechanism linking the chromatin state and nuclear envelope formation at the end of mitosis.

Reconstitution of mitotic chromatids with a minimum set of purified factors

The assembly of mitotic chromosomes, each composed of a pair of rod-shaped chromatids, is an essential prerequisite for accurate transmission of the genome during cell division. It remains poorly understood, however, how this fundamental process might be achieved and regulated in the cell. Here we report an in vitro system in which mitotic chromatids can be reconstituted by mixing a simple substrate with only six purified factors: core histones, three histone chaperones (nucleoplasmin, Nap1 and FACT), topoisomerase II (topo II) and condensin I. We find that octameric nucleosomes containing the embryonic variant H2A.X-F are highly susceptible to FACT and function as the most productive substrate for subsequent actions of topo II and condensin I. Cdk1 phosphorylation of condensin I is the sole mitosis-specific modification required for chromatid reconstitution. This experimental system will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of action of individual factors and their cooperation during this process.

Shaping mitotic chromosomes: From classical concepts to molecular mechanisms

How eukaryotic genomes are packaged into compact cylindrical chromosomes in preparation for cell divisions has remained one of the major unsolved questions of cell biology. Novel approaches to study the topology of DNA helices inside the nuclei of intact cells, paired with computational modeling and precise biomechanical measurements of isolated chromosomes, have advanced our understanding of mitotic chromosome architecture. In this Review Essay, we discuss - in light of these recent insights - the role of chromatin architecture and the functions and possible mechanisms of SMC protein complexes and other molecular machines in the formation of mitotic chromosomes. Based on the information available, we propose a stepwise model of mitotic chromosome condensation that envisions the sequential generation of intra-chromosomal linkages by condensin complexes in the context of cohesin-mediated inter-chromosomal linkages, assisted by topoisomerase II. The described scenario results in rod-shaped metaphase chromosomes ready for their segregation to the cell poles.

Chromosome structure deficiencies in MCPH1 syndrome

Mutations in the MCPH1 gene result in primary microcephaly in combination with a unique cellular phenotype of defective chromosome condensation. MCPH1 patient cells display premature chromosome condensation in G2 phase of the cell cycle and delayed decondensation in early G1 phase, observable as an increased proportion of cells with prophase-like appearance. MCPH1 deficiency thus appears to uncouple the chromosome cycle from the coordinated series of events that take place during mitosis such as some phases of the centrosome cycle and nuclear envelope breakdown. Here, we provide a further characterization of the effects of MCPH1 loss-of-function on chromosome morphology. In comparison to healthy controls, chromosomes of MCPH1 patients are shorter and display a pronounced coiling of their central chromatid axes. In addition, a substantial fraction of metaphase chromosomes shows apparently unresolved chromatids with twisted appearance. The patient chromosomes also showed signs of defective centromeric cohesion, which become more apparent and pronounced after harsh hypotonic conditions. Taking together, the observed alterations indicate additional so far unknown functions of MCPH1 during chromosome shaping and dynamics.

ISWI remodels nucleosomes through a random walk

The chromatin remodeler ISWI is capable of repositioning clusters of nucleosomes to create well-ordered arrays or moving single nucleosomes from the center of DNA fragments toward the ends without disrupting their integrity. Using standard electrophoresis assays, we have monitored the ISWI-catalyzed repositioning of different nucleosome samples each containing a different length of DNA symmetrically flanking the initially centrally positioned histone octamer. We find that ISWI moves the histone octamer between distinct and thermodynamically stable positions on the DNA according to a random walk mechanism. Through the application of a spectrophotometric assay for nucleosome repositioning, we further characterized the repositioning activity of ISWI using short nucleosome substrates and were able to determine the macroscopic rate of nucleosome repositioning by ISWI. Additionally, quantitative analysis of repositioning experiments performed at various ISWI concentrations revealed that a monomeric ISWI is sufficient to obtain the observed repositioning activity as the presence of a second ISWI bound had no effect on the rate of nucleosome repositioning. We also found that ATP hydrolysis is poorly coupled to nucleosome repositioning, suggesting that DNA translocation by ISWI is not energetically rate-limiting for the repositioning reaction. This is the first calculation of a microscopic ATPase coupling efficiency for nucleosome repositioning and also further supports our conclusion that a second bound ISWI does not contribute to the repositioning reaction.

Quantitative determination of binding of ISWI to nucleosomes and DNA shows allosteric regulation of DNA binding by nucleotides

The regulation of chromatin structure is controlled by a family of molecular motors called chromatin remodelers. The ability of these enzymes to remodel chromatin structure is dependent on their ability to couple ATP binding and hydrolysis into the mechanical work that drives nucleosome repositioning. The necessary first step in determining how these essential enzymes perform this function is to characterize both how they bind nucleosomes and how this interaction is regulated by ATP binding and hydrolysis. With this goal in mind, we monitored the interaction of the chromatin remodeler ISWI with fluorophore-labeled nucleosomes and DNA through associated changes in fluorescence anisotropy of the fluorophore upon binding of ISWI to these substrates. We determined that one ISWI molecule binds to a 20 bp double-stranded DNA substrate with an affinity of 18 ± 2 nM. In contrast, two ISWI molecules can bind to the core nucleosome with short linker DNA with stoichiometric macroscopic equilibrium constants: 1/β₁ = 1.3 ± 0.6 nM, and 1/β₂ = 13 ± 7 nM². Furthermore, to improve our understanding of the mechanism of DNA translocation by ISWI, and hence nucleosome repositioning, we determined the effect of nucleotide analogues on substrate binding by ISWI. While the affinity of ISWI for the nucleosome substrate with short lengths of flanking DNA was not affected by the presence of nucleotides, the affinity of ISWI for the DNA substrate is weakened in the presence of nonhydrolyzable ATP analogues but not by ADP.

A genetic screen for functional partners of condensin in fission yeast

Mitotic chromosome condensation is a prerequisite for the accurate segregation of chromosomes during cell division, and the conserved condensin complex a central player of this process. However, how condensin binds chromatin and shapes mitotic chromosomes remain poorly understood. Recent genome-wide binding studies showing that in most species condensin is enriched near highly expressed genes suggest a conserved link between condensin occupancy and high transcription rates. To gain insight into the mechanisms of condensin binding and mitotic chromosome condensation, we searched for factors that collaborate with condensin through a synthetic lethal genetic screen in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We isolated novel mutations affecting condensin, as well as mutations in four genes not previously implicated in mitotic chromosome condensation in fission yeast. These mutations cause chromosome segregation defects similar to those provoked by defects in condensation. We also identified a suppressor of the cut3-477 condensin mutation, which largely rescued chromosome segregation during anaphase. Remarkably, of the five genes identified in this study, four encode transcription co-factors. Our results therefore provide strong additional evidence for a functional connection between chromosome condensation and transcription.

Regulation of ISWI chromatin remodelling activity

The packaging of the eukaryotic genome into chromatin facilitates the storage of the genetic information within the nucleus, but prevents the access to the underlying DNA sequences. Structural changes in chromatin are mediated by several mechanisms. Among them, ATP-dependent remodelling complexes belonging to ISWI family provides one of the best examples that eukaryotic cells evolved to finely regulate these changes. ISWI-containing complexes use the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis to rearrange nucleosomes on chromatin in order to favour specific nuclear reactions. The combination of regulatory nuclear factors associated with the ATPase subunit as well as its modulation by specific histone modifications, specializes the nuclear function of each ISWI-containing complex. Here we review the different ways by which ISWI enzymatic activity can be modulated and regulated in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.

New mitotic regulators released from chromatin

Faithful action of the mitotic spindle segregates duplicated chromosomes into daughter cells. Perturbations of this process result in chromosome mis-segregation, leading to chromosomal instability and cancer development. Chromosomes are not simply passengers segregated by spindle microtubules but rather play a major active role in spindle assembly. The GTP bound form of the Ran GTPase (RanGTP), produced around chromosomes, locally activates spindle assembly factors. Recent studies have uncovered that chromosomes organize mitosis beyond spindle formation. They distinctly regulate other mitotic events, such as spindle maintenance in anaphase, which is essential for chromosome segregation. Furthermore, the direct function of chromosomes is not only to produce RanGTP but, in addition, to release key mitotic regulators from chromatin. Chromatin-remodeling factors and nuclear pore complex proteins, which have established functions on chromatin in interphase, dissociate from mitotic chromatin and function in spindle assembly or maintenance. Thus, chromosomes actively organize their own segregation using chromatin-releasing mitotic regulators as well as RanGTP.

Mitotic phosphorylation of histone H3 threonine 80

The onset and regulation of mitosis is dependent on phosphorylation of a wide array of proteins. Among the proteins that are phosphorylated during mitosis is histone H3, which is heavily phosphorylated on its N-terminal tail. In addition, large-scale mass spectrometry screens have revealed that histone H3 phosphorylation can occur at multiple sites within its globular domain, yet detailed analyses of the functions of these phosphorylations are lacking. Here, we explore one such histone H3 phosphorylation site, threonine 80 (H3T80), which is located on the nucleosome surface. Phosphorylated H3T80 (H3T80ph) is enriched in metazoan cells undergoing mitosis. Unlike H3S10 and H3S28, H3T80 is not phosphorylated by the Aurora B kinase. Further, mutations of T80 to either glutamic acid, a phosphomimetic, or to alanine, an unmodifiable residue, result in an increase in cells in prophase and an increase in anaphase/telophase bridges, respectively. SILAC-coupled mass spectrometry shows that phosphorylated H3T80 (H3T80ph) preferentially interacts with histones H2A and H4 relative to non-phosphorylated H3T80, and this result is supported by increased binding of H3T80ph to histone octamers in vitro. These findings support a model where H3T80ph, protruding from the nucleosome surface, promotes interactions between adjacent nucleosomes to promote chromatin compaction during mitosis in metazoan cells.

CHD4 is a RanGTP-dependent MAP that stabilizes microtubules and regulates bipolar spindle formation

BACKGROUND

Production of the GTP-bound form of the Ran GTPase (RanGTP) around chromosomes induces spindle assembly by activating nuclear localization signal (NLS)-containing proteins. Several NLS proteins have been identified as spindle assembly factors, but the complexity of the process led us to search for additional proteins with distinct roles in spindle assembly.

RESULTS

We identify a chromatin-remodeling ATPase, CHD4, as a RanGTP-dependent microtubule (MT)-associated protein (MAP). MT binding occurs via the region containing an NLS and chromatin-binding domains. In Xenopus egg extracts and cultured cells, CHD4 largely dissociates from mitotic chromosomes and partially localizes to the spindle. Immunodepletion of CHD4 from egg extracts significantly reduces the quantity of MTs produced around chromatin and prevents spindle assembly. CHD4 RNAi in both HeLa and Drosophila S2 cells induces defects in spindle assembly and chromosome alignment in early mitosis, leading to chromosome missegregation. Further analysis in egg extracts and in HeLa cells reveals that CHD4 is a RanGTP-dependent MT stabilizer. Moreover, the CHD4-containing NuRD complex promotes organization of MTs into bipolar spindles in egg extracts. Importantly, this function of CHD4 is independent of chromatin remodeling.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results uncover a new role for CHD4 as a MAP required for MT stabilization and involved in generating spindle bipolarity.

Nuclear myosin 1c facilitates the chromatin modifications required to activate rRNA gene transcription and cell cycle progression

Actin and nuclear myosin 1c (NM1) cooperate in RNA polymerase I (pol I) transcription. NM1 is also part of a multiprotein assembly, B-WICH, which is involved in transcription. This assembly contains the chromatin remodeling complex WICH with its subunits WSTF and SNF2h. We report here that NM1 binds SNF2h with enhanced affinity upon impairment of the actin-binding function. ChIP analysis revealed that NM1, SNF2h, and actin gene occupancies are cell cycle-dependent and require intact motor function. At the onset of cell division, when transcription is temporarily blocked, B-WICH is disassembled due to WSTF phosphorylation, to be reassembled on the active gene at exit from mitosis. NM1 gene knockdown and motor function inhibition, or stable expression of NM1 mutants that do not interact with actin or chromatin, overall repressed rRNA synthesis by stalling pol I at the gene promoter, led to chromatin alterations by changing the state of H3K9 acetylation at gene promoter, and delayed cell cycle progression. These results suggest a unique structural role for NM1 in which the interaction with SNF2h stabilizes B-WICH at the gene promoter and facilitates recruitment of the HAT PCAF. This leads to a permissive chromatin structure required for transcription activation.

Condensin, chromatin crossbarring and chromosome condensation

The processes underlying the large-scale reorganisation of chromatin in mitosis that form compact mitotic chromosomes and ensure the fidelity of chromosome segregation during cell division still remain obscure. The chromosomal condensin complex is a major molecular effector of chromosome condensation and segregation in diverse organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Condensin is a large, evolutionarily conserved, multisubunit protein assembly composed of dimers of the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) family of ATPases, clasped into topologically closed rings by accessory subunits. Condensin binds to DNA dynamically, in a poorly understood cycle of ATP-modulated conformational changes, and exhibits the ability to positively supercoil DNA. During mitosis, condensin is phosphorylated by the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), Polo and Aurora B kinases in a manner that correlates with changes in its localisation, dynamics and supercoiling activity. Here we review the reported architecture, biochemical activities and regulators of condensin. We compare models of bacterial and eukaryotic condensins in order to uncover conserved mechanistic principles of condensin action and to propose a model for mitotic chromosome condensation.

Mitotic chromosomes are compacted laterally by KIF4 and condensin and axially by topoisomerase IIα

During the shaping of mitotic chromosomes, KIF4 and condensin work in parallel to promote lateral chromatid compaction and in opposition to topoisomerase IIα, which shortens the chromatid arms.

Mitotic chromosome formation involves a relatively minor condensation of the chromatin volume coupled with a dramatic reorganization into the characteristic “X” shape. Here we report results of a detailed morphological analysis, which revealed that chromokinesin KIF4 cooperated in a parallel pathway with condensin complexes to promote the lateral compaction of chromatid arms. In this analysis, KIF4 and condensin were mutually dependent for their dynamic localization on the chromatid axes. Depletion of either caused sister chromatids to expand and compromised the “intrinsic structure” of the chromosomes (defined in an in vitro assay), with loss of condensin showing stronger effects. Simultaneous depletion of KIF4 and condensin caused complete loss of chromosome morphology. In these experiments, topoisomerase IIα contributed to shaping mitotic chromosomes by promoting the shortening of the chromatid axes and apparently acting in opposition to the actions of KIF4 and condensins. These three proteins are major determinants in shaping the characteristic mitotic chromosome morphology.

Building a nuclear envelope at the end of mitosis: coordinating membrane reorganization, nuclear pore complex assembly, and chromatin de-condensation

The metazoan nucleus is disassembled and re-built at every mitotic cell division. The nuclear envelope, including nuclear pore complexes, breaks down at the beginning of mitosis to accommodate the capture of massively condensed chromosomes by the spindle apparatus. At the end of mitosis, a nuclear envelope is newly formed around each set of segregating and de-condensing chromatin. We review the current understanding of the membrane restructuring events involved in the formation of the nuclear membrane sheets of the envelope, the mechanisms governing nuclear pore complex assembly and integration in the nascent nuclear membranes, and the regulated coordination of these events with chromatin de-condensation.

Condensins: universal organizers of chromosomes with diverse functions

Condensins are multisubunit protein complexes that play a fundamental role in the structural and functional organization of chromosomes in the three domains of life. Most eukaryotic species have two different types of condensin complexes, known as condensins I and II, that fulfill nonoverlapping functions and are subjected to differential regulation during mitosis and meiosis. Recent studies revealed that the two complexes contribute to a wide variety of interphase chromosome functions, such as gene regulation, recombination, and repair. Also emerging are their cell type- and tissue-specific functions and relevance to human disease. Biochemical and structural analyses of eukaryotic and bacterial condensins steadily uncover the mechanisms of action of this class of highly sophisticated molecular machines. Future studies on condensins will not only enhance our understanding of chromosome architecture and dynamics, but also help address a previously underappreciated yet profound set of questions in chromosome biology.

Xtr, a plural tudor domain-containing protein, is involved in the translational regulation of maternal mRNA during oocyte maturation in Xenopus laevis

Xtr in the fertilized eggs of Xenopus has been demonstrated to be a member of a messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complex that plays a crucial role in karyokinesis during cleavage. Since the Xtr is also present both in oocytes and spermatocytes and its amount increases immediately after spematogenic cells enter into the meiotic phase, this protein was also predicted to act during meiotic progression. Taking advantage of Xenopus oocytes' large size to microinject anti-Xtr antibody into them for inhibition of Xtr function, we examined the role of Xtr in meiotic progression of oocytes. Microinjection of anti-Xtr antibody into immature oocytes followed by reinitiation of oocyte maturation did not affect germinal vesicle break down and the oscillation of Cdc2/cyclin B activity during meiotic progression but caused abnormal spindle formation and chromosomal alignment at meiotic metaphase I and II. Immunoprecipitation of Xtr showed the association of Xtr with FRGY2 and mRNAs such as RCC1 and XL-INCENP mRNAs, which are involved in the progression of karyokinesis. When anti-Xtr antibody was injected into oocytes, translation of XL-INCENP mRNA, which is known to be repressed in immature oocytes and induced after reinitiation of oocyte maturation, was inhibited even if the oocytes were treated with progesterone. A similar translational regulation was observed in oocytes injected with a reporter mRNA, which was composed of an enhanced green fluorescent protein open reading frame followed by the 3' untranslational region (3'UTR) of XL-INCENP mRNA. These results indicate that Xtr regulates the translation of XL-INCENP mRNA through its 3'UTR during meiotic progression of oocyte.

Xenopus Shugoshin 2 regulates the spindle assembly pathway mediated by the chromosomal passenger complex

Shugoshins (Sgo) are conserved proteins that act as protectors of centromeric cohesion and as sensors of tension for the machinery that eliminates improper kinetochore-microtubule attachments. Most vertebrates contain two Sgo proteins, but their specific functions are not always clear. Xenopus laevis Sgo1, XSgo1, protects centromeric cohesin from the prophase dissociation pathway. Here, we report the identification of XSgo2 and show that it does not regulate cohesion. Instead, we find that it participates in bipolar spindle assembly. Both Sgo proteins interact physically with the Chromosomal Passenger Complex (CPC) containing Aurora B, a key regulator of mitosis, but the functional consequences of such interaction are distinct. XSgo1 is required for proper localization of the CPC while XSgo2 positively contributes to its activation and the subsequent phosphorylation of at least one key substrate for bipolar spindle assembly, the microtubule depolymerizing kinesin MCAK (Mitotic Centromere-Associated Kinesin). Thus, the two Xenopus Sgo proteins have non-overlapping functions in chromosome segregation. Our results further suggest that this functional specificity could rely on the association of XSgo1 and XSgo2 with different regulatory subunits of the PP2A complex.

Different roles for Aurora B in condensin targeting during mitosis and meiosis

Condensin complexes are essential for mitotic and meiotic chromosome segregation. Caenorhabditis elegans, like other metazoans, has two distinct mitotic and meiotic condensin complexes (I and II), which occupy distinct chromosomal domains and perform non-redundant functions. Despite the differences in mitotic and meiotic chromosome behavior, we uncovered several conserved aspects of condensin targeting during these processes. During both mitosis and meiosis, condensin II loads onto chromosomes in early prophase, and condensin I loads at entry into prometaphase. During both mitosis and meiosis, the localization of condensin I, but not condensin II, closely parallels the localization of the chromosomal passenger kinase Aurora B (AIR-2 in C. elegans). Interestingly, condensin I and AIR-2 also colocalize on the spindle midzone during anaphase of mitosis, and between separating chromosomes during anaphase of meiosis. Consistently, AIR-2 affects the targeting of condensin I but not condensin II. However, the role AIR-2 plays in condensin I targeting during these processes is different. In mitosis, AIR-2 activity is required for chromosomal association of condensin I. By contrast, during meiosis, AIR-2 is not required for condensin I chromosomal association, but it provides cues for correct spatial targeting of the complex.

Chromatin remodeler sucrose nonfermenting 2 homolog (SNF2H) is recruited onto DNA replication origins through interaction with Cdc10 protein-dependent transcript 1 (Cdt1) and promotes pre-replication complex formation

From late mitosis to the G(1) phase of the cell cycle, ORC, CDC6, and Cdt1 form the machinery necessary to load MCM2-7 complexes onto DNA. Here, we show that SNF2H, a member of the ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex, is recruited onto DNA replication origins in human cells in a Cdt1-dependent manner and positively regulates MCM loading. SNF2H physically interacted with Cdt1. ChIP assays indicated that SNF2H associates with replication origins specifically during the G(1) phase. Binding of SNF2H at origins was decreased by Cdt1 silencing and, conversely, enhanced by Cdt1 overexpression. Furthermore, SNF2H silencing prevented MCM loading at origins and moderately inhibited S phase progression. Although neither SNF2H overexpression nor SNF2H silencing appeared to impact rereplication induced by Cdt1 overexpression, Cdt1-induced checkpoint activation was inhibited by SNF2H silencing. Collectively, these data suggest that SNF2H may promote MCM loading at DNA replication origins via interaction with Cdt1 in human cells. Because efficient loading of excess MCM complexes is thought to be required for cells to tolerate replication stress, Cdt1- and SNF2H-mediated promotion of MCM loading may be biologically relevant for the regulation of DNA replication.

Chromatin remodelling in mammalian cells by ISWI-type complexes--where, when and why?

The specific location of nucleosomes on DNA has important inhibitory or activating roles in the regulation of DNA-dependent processes as it affects the DNA accessibility. Nucleosome positions depend on the ATP-coupled activity of chromatin-remodelling complexes that translocate nucleosomes or evict them from the DNA. The mammalian cell harbors numerous different remodelling complexes that possess distinct activities. These can translate a variety of signals into certain patterns of nucleosome positions with specific functions. Although chromatin remodellers have been extensively studied in vitro, much less is known about how they operate in their cellular environment. Here, we review the cellular activities of the mammalian imitation switch proteins and discuss mechanisms by which they are targeted to sites where their activity is needed.

Targeting chromatin remodelers: signals and search mechanisms

Chromatin remodeling complexes are ATP-driven molecular machines that change chromatin structure by translocating nucleosomes along the DNA, evicting nucleosomes, or changing the nucleosomal histone composition. They are highly abundant in the cell and numerous different complexes exist that display distinct activity patterns. Here we review chromatin-associated signals that are recognized by remodelers. It is discussed how these regulate the remodeling reaction via changing the nucleosome substrate/product binding affinity or the catalytic translocation rate. Finally, we address the question of how chromatin remodelers operate in the cell nucleus to find specifically marked nucleosome substrates via a diffusion driven target location mechanism, and estimate the search times of this process. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled:Snf2/Swi2 ATPase structure and function.

WSTF does it all: a multifunctional protein in transcription, repair, and replication

Williams syndrome transcription factor (WSTF) has emerged as an incredibly versatile nuclear protein. WSTF and the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in which it exists, WINAC, WICH, and B-WICH, have been studied in a variety of organisms. This research has revealed roles for WSTF in a number of diverse molecular events. WSTF function includes chromatin assembly, RNA polymerase I and III gene regulation, vitamin D metabolism, and DNA repair. In addition to functioning as a subunit of several ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, WSTF binds specifically to acetylated histones and is itself a histone kinase as well as a target of phosphorylation. This review will describe the three known WSTF-containing complexes and discuss their various roles as well as mechanisms of regulating WSTF activity.

Atomic force microscope imaging of chromatin assembled in Xenopus laevis egg extract

Gaps persist in our understanding of chromatin lower- and higher-order structures. Xenopus egg extracts provide a way to study essential chromatin components which are difficult to manipulate in living cells, but nanoscale imaging of chromatin assembled in extracts poses a challenge. We describe a method for preparing chromatin assembled in extracts for atomic force microscopy (AFM) utilizing restriction enzyme digestion followed by transferring to a mica surface. Using this method, we find that buffer dilution of the chromatin assembly extract or incubation of chromatin in solutions of low ionic strength results in loosely compacted chromatin fibers that are prone to unraveling into naked DNA. We also describe a method for direct AFM imaging of chromatin which does not utilize restriction enzymes and reveals higher-order fibers of varying widths. Due to the capability of controlling chromatin assembly conditions, we believe these methods have broad potential for studying physiologically relevant chromatin structures.

Williams syndrome is an epigenome-regulator disease

A human multi-protein complex (WINAC), composed of SWI/SNF components and DNA replication-related factors, that directly interacts with the vitamin D receptor (VDR) through the Williams syndrome transcription factor (WSTF), was identified with an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity. This novel ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex facilitates VDR-mediated transrepression as well as transactivation with its ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity and promoter targeting property for the activator to access to the DNA. It also suggested that in this complex, WSTF serves as a signaling sensor to receive intra-cellular singalings to switch the activity of WINAC as well as WICH, another ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex containing hSNF2h. By making WSTF-deficient mice, some of the heart defects as well as abnormal calcium metabolism observed in Williams syndrome are attributed to the abnormal chromatin remodeling activity caused by WSTF deficiency. Thus, we would propose to designate Williams syndrome as an epigenome-regulator disease.

Chromatin remodeling regulation by small molecules and metabolites

The eukaryotic genome is a highly organized nucleoprotein structure comprising of DNA, histones, non-histone proteins, and RNAs, referred to as chromatin. The chromatin exists as a dynamic entity, shuttling between the open and closed forms at specific nuclear regions and loci based on the requirement of the cell. This dynamicity is essential for the various DNA-templated phenomena like transcription, replication, and repair and is achieved through the activity of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes and covalent modifiers of chromatin. A growing body of data indicates that chromatin enzymatic activities are finely and specifically regulated by a variety of small molecules derived from the intermediary metabolism. This review tries to summarize the work conducted in many laboratories and on different model organisms showing how ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes are regulated by small molecules and metabolites such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA), S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and inositol polyphosphates (IPs).

ISWI is a RanGTP-dependent MAP required for chromosome segregation

Chromatin-remodeling factor ISWI is a microtubule-associated protein that contributes to chromosome segregation by stabilizing microtubules during anaphase.

Production of RanGTP around chromosomes induces spindle assembly by activating nuclear localization signal (NLS)–containing factors. Here, we show that the NLS protein ISWI, a known chromatin-remodeling ATPase, is a RanGTP-dependent microtubule (MT)-associated protein. Recombinant ISWI induces MT nucleation, stabilization, and bundling in vitro. In Xenopus culture cells and egg extract, ISWI localizes within the nucleus in interphase and on spindles during mitosis. Depletion of ISWI in egg extracts does not affect spindle assembly, but in anaphase spindle MTs disappear and chromosomes do not segregate. We show directly that ISWI is required for the RanGTP-dependent stabilization of MTs during anaphase independently of its effect on chromosomes. ISWI depletion in Drosophila S2 cells induces defects in spindle MTs and chromosome segregation in anaphase, and the cells eventually stop growing. Our results demonstrate that distinctly from its role in spindle assembly, RanGTP maintains spindle MTs in anaphase through the local activation of ISWI and that this is essential for proper chromosome segregation.

Haspin: a newly discovered regulator of mitotic chromosome behavior

The haspins are divergent members of the eukaryotic protein kinase family that are conserved in many eukaryotic lineages including animals, fungi, and plants. Recently-solved crystal structures confirm that the kinase domain of human haspin has unusual structural features that stabilize a catalytically active conformation and create a distinctive substrate binding site. Haspin localizes predominantly to chromosomes and phosphorylates histone H3 at threonine-3 during mitosis, particularly at inner centromeres. This suggests that haspin directly regulates chromosome behavior by modifying histones, although it is likely that additional substrates will be identified in the future. Depletion of haspin by RNA interference in human cell lines causes premature loss of centromeric cohesin from chromosomes in mitosis and failure of metaphase chromosome alignment, leading to activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint and mitotic arrest. Haspin overexpression stabilizes chromosome arm cohesion. Haspin, therefore, appears to be required for protection of cohesion at mitotic centromeres. Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologues of haspin, Alk1 and Alk2, are also implicated in regulation of mitosis. In mammals, haspin is expressed at high levels in the testis, particularly in round spermatids, so it seems likely that haspin has an additional role in post-meiotic spermatogenesis. Haspin is currently the subject of a number of drug discovery efforts, and the future use of haspin inhibitors should provide new insight into the cellular functions of these kinases and help determine the utility of, for example, targeting haspin for cancer therapy.

Phosphorylation of histone H3 at Thr3 is part of a combinatorial pattern that marks and configures mitotic chromatin

We have previously shown that histone H3 is transiently phosphorylated at Thr3 during mitosis. Extending these studies, we now report that phosphorylated Thr3 is always in cis to trimethylated Lys4 and dimethylated Arg8, forming a new type of combinatorial modification, which we have termed PMM. PMM-marked chromatin emerges at multiple, peripheral sites of the prophase nucleus, then forms distinct clusters at the centric regions of metaphase chromosomes, and finally spreads (as it wanes) to the distal areas of segregating chromatids. The characteristic prophase pattern can be reproduced by expressing ectopically the kinase haspin at interphase, suggesting that the formation of the PMM signature does not require a pre-existing mitotic environment. On the other hand, the `dissolution' and displacement of PMM clusters from a centric to distal position can be induced by partial dephosphorylation or chromosome unravelling, indicating that these changes reflect the regulated grouping and scrambling of PMM subdomains during cell division. Formation of PMM is prevented by haspin knockdown and leads to delayed exit from mitosis. However, PMM-negative cells do not exhibit major chromosomal defects, suggesting that the local structures formed by PMM chromatin may serve as a `licensing system' that allows quick clearance through the metaphase-anaphase checkpoint.

Distinct function of 2 chromatin remodeling complexes that share a common subunit, Williams syndrome transcription factor (WSTF)

A number of nuclear complexes modify chromatin structure and operate as functional units. However, the in vivo role of each component within the complexes is not known. ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes form several types of protein complexes, which reorganize chromatin structure cooperatively with histone modifiers. Williams syndrome transcription factor (WSTF) was biochemically identified as a major subunit, along with 2 distinct complexes: WINAC, a SWI/SNF-type complex, and WICH, an ISWI-type complex. Here, WSTF(-/-) mice were generated to investigate its function in chromatin remodeling in vivo. Loss of WSTF expression resulted in neonatal lethality, and all WSTF(-/-) neonates and approximately 10% of WSTF(+/-) neonates suffered cardiovascular abnormalities resembling those found in autosomal-dominant Williams syndrome patients. Developmental analysis of WSTF(-/-) embryos revealed that Gja5 gene regulation is aberrant from E9.5, conceivably because of inappropriate chromatin reorganization around the promoter regions where essential cardiac transcription factors are recruited. In vitro analysis in WSTF(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells also showed impaired transactivation functions of cardiac transcription activators on the Gja5 promoter, but the effects were reversed by overexpression of WINAC components. Likewise in WSTF(-/-) MEF cells, recruitment of Snf2h, an ISWI ATPase, to PCNA and cell survival after DNA damage were both defective, but were ameliorated by overexpression of WICH components. Thus, the present study provides evidence that WSTF is shared and is a functionally indispensable subunit of the WICH complex for DNA repair and the WINAC complex for transcriptional control.

Shugoshin regulates cohesion by driving relocalization of PP2A in Xenopus extracts

Sister chromatid cohesion is mediated by cohesin. At the onset of mitosis, most cohesin dissociates from chromatin with the exception of a small population, present along chromosome arms and enriched at centromeres. A protein known as shugoshin (Sgo) is essential to maintain arm and centromeric cohesion until the onset of anaphase in transformed human cells, but not in other organisms like Drosophila or mouse. We have used Xenopus egg extracts to further explore this issue. Chromosomes assembled in extracts depleted of Sgo have little or no cohesin at centromeres and display centromeric cohesion defects. Unlike transformed human cells, however, arm cohesion is maintained in the absence of Sgo. Furthermore, Sgo depletion impairs the prophase dissociation of cohesin. This phenotype can be rescued by inhibition of PP2A. The protein phosphatase interacts with Sgo and accumulates at centromeres in mitosis in a Sgo-dependent manner. We propose that Sgo drives relocalization of PP2A from arms to centromeres and, in this way, coordinates release of arm cohesin with protection of centromeric cohesin in mitosis.

Cloning of Xenopus orthologs of Ctf7/Eco1 acetyltransferase and initial characterization of XEco2

Sister chromatid cohesion is important for the correct alignment and segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Although the cohesin complex has been shown to play a physical role in holding sister chromatids together, its loading onto chromatin is not sufficient for the establishment of sister chromatid cohesion. The activity of the cohesin complex must be turned on by Ctf7/Eco1 acetyltransferase at the replication forks as the result of a specific mechanism. To dissect this mechanism in the well established in vitro system based on the use of Xenopus egg extracts, we cloned two Xenopus orthologs of Ctf7/Eco1 acetyltransferase, XEco1 and XEco2. Both proteins share a domain structure with known members of Ctf7/Eco1 family proteins. Moreover, biochemical analysis showed that XEco2 exhibited acetyltransferase activity. We raised a specific antibody against XEco2 and used it to further characterize XEco2. In tissue culture cells, XEco2 gradually accumulated in nuclei through the S phase. In nuclei formed in egg extract, XEco2 was loaded into the chromatin at a constant level in a manner sensitive to geminin, an inhibitor of the pre-replication complex assembly, but insensitive to aphidicolin, an inhibitor of DNA polymerases. In both systems, no specific localization was observed during mitosis. In XEco2-depleted egg extracts, DNA replication occurred with normal kinetics and efficiency, and the condensation and sister chromatid cohesion of subsequently formed mitotic chromosomes was unaffected. These observations will serve as a platform for elucidating the molecular function of Ctf7/Eco1 acetyltransferase in the establishment of sister chromatid cohesion in future studies, in which XEco1 and XEco2 should be dissected in parallel.

CENP-V is required for centromere organization, chromosome alignment and cytokinesis

The mechanism of mitotic chromosome condensation is poorly understood, but even less is known about the mechanism of formation of the primary constriction, or centromere. A proteomic analysis of mitotic chromosome scaffolds led to the identification of CENP-V, a novel kinetochore protein related to a bacterial enzyme that detoxifies formaldehyde, a by-product of histone demethylation in eukaryotic cells. Overexpression of CENP-V leads to hypercondensation of pericentromeric heterochromatin, a phenotype that is abolished by mutations in the putative catalytic site. CENP-V depletion in HeLa cells leads to abnormal expansion of the primary constriction of mitotic chromosomes, mislocalization and destabilization of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) and alterations in the distribution of H3K9me3 in interphase nucleoplasm. CENP-V-depleted cells suffer defects in chromosome alignment in metaphase, lagging chromosomes in anaphase, failure of cytokinesis and rapid cell death. CENP-V provides a novel link between centromeric chromatin, the primary constriction and the CPC.