Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Signaling Research Articles

Preventing farnesylation of the dynein adaptor Spindly contributes to the mitotic defects caused by farnesyltransferase inhibitors.

The clinical interest in farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs) makes it important to understand how these compounds affect cellular processes involving farnesylated proteins. Mitotic abnormalities observed after treatment with FTIs have so far been attributed to defects in the farnesylation of the outer kinetochore proteins CENP-E and CENP-F, which are involved in chromosome congression and spindle assembly checkpoint signaling. Here we identify the cytoplasmic dynein adaptor Spindly as an additional component of the outer kinetochore that is modified by farnesyltransferase (FTase). We show that farnesylation of Spindly is essential for its localization, and thus for the proper localization of dynein and its cofactor dynactin, to prometaphase kinetochores and that Spindly kinetochore recruitment is more severely affected by FTase inhibition than kinetochore recruitment of CENP-E and CENP-F. Molecular replacement experiments show that both Spindly and CENP-E farnesylation are required for efficient chromosome congression. The identification of Spindly as a new mitotic substrate of FTase provides insight into the causes of the mitotic phenotypes observed with FTase inhibitors.

Spindle assembly checkpoint acquisition at the mid-blastula transition.

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) maintains the fidelity of chromosome segregation during mitosis. Nonpathogenic cells lacking the SAC are typically only found in cleavage stage metazoan embryos, which do not acquire functional checkpoints until the mid-blastula transition (MBT). It is unclear how proper SAC function is acquired at the MBT, though several models exist. First, SAC acquisition could rely on transcriptional activity, which increases dramatically at the MBT. Embryogenesis prior to the MBT relies primarily on maternally loaded transcripts, and if SAC signaling components are not maternally supplied, the SAC would depend on zygotic transcription at the MBT. Second, checkpoint acquisition could depend on the Chk1 kinase, which is activated at the MBT to elongate cell cycles and is required for the SAC in somatic cells. Third, SAC function could depend on a threshold nuclear to cytoplasmic (N:C) ratio, which increases during pre-MBT cleavage cycles and dictates several MBT events like zygotic transcription and cell cycle remodeling. Finally, the SAC could by regulated by a timer mechanism that coincides with other MBT events but is independent of them. Using zebrafish embryos we show that SAC acquisition at the MBT is independent of zygotic transcription, indicating that the checkpoint program is maternally supplied. Additionally, by precociously lengthening cleavage cycles with exogenous Chk1 activity, we show that cell cycle lengthening and Chk1 activity are not sufficient for SAC acquisition. Furthermore, we find that SAC acquisition can be uncoupled from the N:C ratio. Together, our findings indicate that SAC acquisition is regulated by a maternally programmed developmental timer.

Sequential Multisite Phospho-Regulation of KNL1-BUB3 Interfaces at Mitotic Kinetochores

Regulated recruitment of the kinase-adaptor complex BUB1/BUB3 to kinetochores is crucial for correcting faulty chromosome-spindle attachments and for spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) signaling. BUB1/BUB3 localizes to kinetochores by binding phosphorylated MELT motifs (MELpT) in the kinetochore scaffold KNL1. Human KNL1 has 19 repeats that contain a MELT-like sequence. The repeats are, however, larger than MELT, and repeat sequences can vary significantly. Using systematic screening, we show that only a limited number of repeats is "active." Repeat activity correlates with the presence of a vertebrate-specific SHT motif C-terminal to the MELT sequence. SHT motifs are phosphorylated by MPS1 in a manner that requires prior phosphorylation of MELT. Phospho-SHT (SHpT) synergizes with MELpT in BUB3/BUB1 binding in vitro and in cells, and human BUB3 mutated in a predicted SHpT-binding surface cannot localize to kinetochores. Our data show sequential multisite regulation of the KNL1-BUB1/BUB3 interaction and provide mechanistic insight into evolution of the KNL1-BUB3 interface.

A molecular basis for the differential roles of Bub1 and BubR1 in the spindle assembly checkpoint.

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) monitors and promotes kinetochore-microtubule attachment during mitosis. Bub1 and BubR1, SAC components, originated from duplication of an ancestor gene. Subsequent sub-functionalization established subordination: Bub1, recruited first to kinetochores, promotes successive BubR1 recruitment. Because both Bub1 and BubR1 hetero-dimerize with Bub3, a targeting adaptor for phosphorylated kinetochores, the molecular basis for such sub-functionalization is unclear. We demonstrate that Bub1, but not BubR1, enhances binding of Bub3 to phosphorylated kinetochores. Grafting a short motif of Bub1 onto BubR1 promotes Bub1-independent kinetochore recruitment of BubR1. This gain-of-function BubR1 mutant cannot sustain a functional checkpoint. We demonstrate that kinetochore localization of BubR1 relies on direct hetero-dimerization with Bub1 at a pseudo-symmetric interface. This pseudo-symmetric interaction underpins a template-copy relationship crucial for kinetochore-microtubule attachment and SAC signaling. Our results illustrate how gene duplication and sub-functionalization shape the workings of an essential molecular network.

Kinetochore Dynamic Structure at Super-Resolution Accuracy and Mechanical Stiffness Revealed in vitro by Combined Tirf and Optical Tweezers

The kinetochore is a protein complex that interfaces spindle microtubules with chromosomal DNA. During mitosis, kinetochores establish correct bi-oriented attachment of spindle on sister chromatids, and mediate the segregation of sister chromatids in anaphase. Throughout this process, kinetochores remain attached on the plus ends of the microtubules, and exert force to the centromere DNA. The significance of the tension in silencing the spindle assembly checkpoint signal remains a central unsolved question in mitosis. Recent advances in isolating kinetochore particles from budding yeast enables the application of direct and controlled mechanical perturbation in vitro. Meanwhile, by fluorescently labeling kinetochores particles, the subunits can be accurately localized. We used a combined instrument of optical tweezers, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, and differential interference contract microscopy to measure the super-resolution structural change induced by an external tension exerted by attached microtubule. In addition to confirming the linear structural organization, the stiffness of kinetochore subunits is also directly quantified in this work. This information is useful to reveal the role of intra-kinetochore stretch in the mechanism of generating spindle assembly checkpoint signaling.

Dissecting the roles of human BUB1 in the spindle assembly checkpoint.

Mitotic chromosome segregation is initiated by the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and its co-activator CDC20 (forming APC/C(CDC20)). APC/C(CDC20) is inhibited by the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) when chromosomes have not attached to spindle microtubules. Unattached kinetochores catalyze the formation of a diffusible APC/C(CDC20) inhibitor that comprises BUBR1 (also known as BUB1B), BUB3, MAD2 (also known as MAD2L1) and a second molecule of CDC20. Recruitment of these proteins to the kinetochore, as well as SAC activation, rely on the mitotic kinase BUB1, but the molecular mechanism by which BUB1 accomplishes this in human cells is unknown. We show that kinetochore recruitment of BUBR1 and BUB3 by BUB1 is dispensable for SAC activation. Unlike its yeast and nematode orthologs, human BUB1 does not associate stably with the MAD2 activator MAD1 (also known as MAD1L1) and, although required for accelerating the loading of MAD1 onto kinetochores, BUB1 is dispensable for the maintenance of steady-state levels of MAD1 there. Instead, we identify a 50-amino-acid segment that harbors the recently reported ABBA motif close to a KEN box as being crucial for the role of BUB1 in SAC signaling. The presence of this segment correlates with SAC activity and efficient binding of CDC20 but not of MAD1 to kinetochores.

The internal Cdc20 binding site in BubR1 facilitates both spindle assembly checkpoint signalling and silencing.

Improperly attached kinetochores activate the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) and by an unknown mechanism catalyse the binding of two checkpoint proteins, Mad2 and BubR1, to Cdc20 forming the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC). Here, to address the functional role of Cdc20 kinetochore localization in the SAC, we delineate the molecular details of its interaction with kinetochores. We find that BubR1 recruits the bulk of Cdc20 to kinetochores through its internal Cdc20 binding domain (IC20BD). We show that preventing Cdc20 kinetochore localization by removal of the IC20BD has a limited effect on the SAC because the IC20BD is also required for efficient SAC silencing. Indeed, the IC20BD can disrupt the MCC providing a mechanism for its role in SAC silencing. We thus uncover an unexpected dual function of the second Cdc20 binding site in BubR1 in promoting both efficient SAC signalling and SAC silencing.

Negative feedback at kinetochores underlies a responsive spindle checkpoint signal.

Kinetochores are specialised multi-protein complexes that play a crucial role in maintaining genome stability 1. They bridge attachments between chromosomes and microtubules during mitosis and they activate the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) to arrest division until all chromosomes are attached 2. Kinetochores are able to efficiently integrate these two processes because they can rapidly respond to changes in microtubule occupancy by switching localised SAC signalling ON or OFF 2–4. We show that this responsiveness arises because the SAC primes kinetochore phosphatases to induce negative feedback and silence its own signal. Active SAC signalling recruits PP2A-B56 to kinetochores where it antagonises Aurora B to promote PP1 recruitment. PP1 in turn silences the SAC and delocalises PP2A-B56. Preventing or bypassing key regulatory steps demonstrates that this spatiotemporal control of phosphatase feedback underlies rapid signal switching at the kinetochore by; 1) allowing the SAC to quickly transition to the ON state in the absence of antagonising phosphatase activity, and 2) ensuring phosphatases are then primed to rapidly switch the SAC signal OFF when kinetochore kinase activities are diminished by force-producing microtubule attachments.

The dynamics of signal amplification by macromolecular assemblies for the control of chromosome segregation.

The control of chromosome segregation relies on the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), a complex regulatory system that ensures the high fidelity of chromosome segregation in higher organisms by delaying the onset of anaphase until each chromosome is properly bi-oriented on the mitotic spindle. Central to this process is the establishment of multiple yet specific protein-protein interactions in a narrow time-space window. Here we discuss the highly dynamic nature of multi-protein complexes that control chromosome segregation in which an intricate network of weak but cooperative interactions modulate signal amplification to ensure a proper SAC response. We also discuss the current structural understanding of the communication between the SAC and the kinetochore; how transient interactions can regulate the assembly and disassembly of the SAC as well as the challenges and opportunities for the definition and the manipulation of the flow of information in SAC signaling.

PP2A-B56 opposes Mps1 phosphorylation of Knl1 and thereby promotes spindle assembly checkpoint silencing.

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) monitors correct attachment of chromosomes to microtubules, an important safeguard mechanism ensuring faithful chromosome segregation in eukaryotic cells. How the SAC signal is turned off once all the chromosomes have successfully attached to the spindle remains an unresolved question. Mps1 phosphorylation of Knl1 results in recruitment of the SAC proteins Bub1, Bub3, and BubR1 to the kinetochore and production of the wait-anaphase signal. SAC silencing is therefore expected to involve a phosphatase opposing Mps1. Here we demonstrate in vivo and in vitro that BubR1-associated PP2A-B56 is a key phosphatase for the removal of the Mps1-mediated Knl1 phosphorylations necessary for Bub1/BubR1 recruitment in mammalian cells. SAC silencing is thus promoted by a negative feedback loop involving the Mps1-dependent recruitment of a phosphatase opposing Mps1. Our findings extend the previously reported role for BubR1-associated PP2A-B56 in opposing Aurora B and suggest that BubR1-bound PP2A-B56 integrates kinetochore surveillance and silencing of the SAC.

Joined at the hip: kinetochores, microtubules, and spindle assembly checkpoint signaling.

Error-free chromosome segregation relies on stable connections between kinetochores and spindle microtubules. The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) monitors such connections and relays their absence to the cell cycle machinery to delay cell division. The molecular network at kinetochores that is responsible for microtubule binding is integrated with the core components of the SAC signaling system. Molecular-mechanistic understanding of how the SAC is coupled to the kinetochore-microtubule interface has advanced significantly in recent years. The latest insights not only provide a striking view of the dynamics and regulation of SAC signaling events at the outer kinetochore but also create a framework for understanding how that signaling may be terminated when kinetochores and microtubules connect.

Phosphorylation Regulates the p31Comet-Mitotic Arrest-deficient 2 (Mad2) Interaction to Promote Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) Activity

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) ensures the faithful segregation of the genome during mitosis by ensuring that sister chromosomes form bipolar attachments with microtubules of the mitotic spindle. p31(Comet) is an antagonist of the SAC effector Mad2 and promotes silencing of the SAC and mitotic progression. However, p31(Comet) interacts with Mad2 throughout the cell cycle. We show that p31(Comet) binds Mad2 solely in an inhibitory manner. We demonstrate that attenuating the affinity of p31(Comet) for Mad2 by phosphorylation promotes SAC activity in mitosis. Specifically, phosphorylation of Ser-102 weakens p31(Comet)-Mad2 binding and enhances p31(Comet)-mediated bypass of the SAC. Our results provide the first evidence for regulation of p31(Comet) and demonstrate a previously unknown event controlling SAC activity.

Nuclear Pores Set the Speed Limit for Mitosis

The spindle assembly checkpoint prevents separation of sister chromatids until each kinetochore is attached to the mitotic spindle. Rodriguez-Bravo etal. report that the nuclear pore complex scaffolds spindle assembly checkpoint signaling in interphase, providing a store of inhibitory signals that limits the speed of the subsequent mitosis.

Cancerous Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) Protein Is Involved in Centrosome Separation through the Regulation of NIMA (Never In Mitosis Gene A)-related Kinase 2 (NEK2) Protein Activity

Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) is overexpressed in most human cancers and has been described as being involved in the progression of several human malignancies via the inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity toward c-Myc. However, with the exception of this role, the cellular function of CIP2A remains poorly understood. On the basis of yeast two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrate here that NIMA (never in mitosis gene A)-related kinase 2 (NEK2) is a binding partner for CIP2A. CIP2A exhibited dynamic changes in distribution, including the cytoplasm and centrosome, depending on the cell cycle stage. When CIP2A was depleted, centrosome separation and the mitotic spindle dynamics were impaired, resulting in the activation of spindle assembly checkpoint signaling and, ultimately, extension of the cell division time. Our data imply that CIP2A strongly interacts with NEK2 during G2/M phase, thereby enhancing NEK2 kinase activity to facilitate centrosome separation in a PP1- and PP2A-independent manner. In conclusion, CIP2A is involved in cell cycle progression through centrosome separation and mitotic spindle dynamics.

KI Motifs of Human Knl1 Enhance Assembly of Comprehensive Spindle Checkpoint Complexes around MELT Repeats

The KMN network, a ten-subunit protein complex, mediates the interaction of kinetochores with spindle microtubules and recruits spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) constituents to halt cells in mitosis until attainment of sister chromatid biorientation. Two types of motifs in the KMN subunit Knl1 interact with SAC proteins. Lys-Ile (KI) motifs, found in vertebrates, interact with the TPR motifs of Bub1 and BubR1. Met-Glu-Leu-Thr (MELT) repeats, ubiquitous in evolution, recruit the Bub3/Bub1 complex in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. The exact contributions of KI and MELT motifs to SAC signaling and chromosome alignment are unclear. We report here that KI motifs cooperate strongly with the neighboring single MELT motif in the N-terminal 250 residues (Knl1(1-250)) of human Knl1 to seed a comprehensive assembly of SAC proteins. In cells depleted of endogenous Knl1, kinetochore-targeted Knl1(1-250) suffices to restore SAC and chromosome alignment. Individual MELT repeats outside of Knl1(1-250), which lack flanking KI motifs, establish qualitatively similar sets of interactions, but less efficiently. MELT sequences on Knl1 emerge from our analysis as the platforms on which SAC complexes become assembled. Our results show that KI motifs are enhancers of MELT function in assembling SAC signaling complexes, and that they might have evolved to limit the expansion of MELT motifs by providing a more robust mechanism of SAC signaling around a single MELT. We shed light on the mechanism of Bub1 and BubR1 recruitment and identify crucial questions for future studies.

Structure-Based Design of Orally Bioavailable 1H-Pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine Inhibitors of Mitotic Kinase Monopolar Spindle 1 (MPS1)

The protein kinase MPS1 is a crucial component of the spindle assembly checkpoint signal and is aberrantly overexpressed in many human cancers. MPS1 is one of the top 25 genes overexpressed in tumors with chromosomal instability and aneuploidy. PTEN-deficient breast tumor cells are particularly dependent upon MPS1 for their survival, making it a target of significant interest in oncology. We report the discovery and optimization of potent and selective MPS1 inhibitors based on the 1H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine scaffold, guided by structure-based design and cellular characterization of MPS1 inhibition, leading to 65 (CCT251455). This potent and selective chemical tool stabilizes an inactive conformation of MPS1 with the activation loop ordered in a manner incompatible with ATP and substrate-peptide binding; it displays a favorable oral pharmacokinetic profile, shows dose-dependent inhibition of MPS1 in an HCT116 human tumor xenograft model, and is an attractive tool compound to elucidate further the therapeutic potential of MPS1 inhibition.

Phosphorylation of Microtubule-binding Protein Hec1 by Mitotic Kinase Aurora B Specifies Spindle Checkpoint Kinase Mps1 Signaling at the Kinetochore

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a quality control device to ensure accurate chromosome attachment to spindle microtubule for equal segregation of sister chromatid. Aurora B is essential for SAC function by sensing chromosome bi-orientation via spatial regulation of kinetochore substrates. However, it has remained elusive as to how Aurora B couples kinetochore-microtubule attachment to SAC signaling. Here, we show that Hec1 interacts with Mps1 and specifies its kinetochore localization via its calponin homology (CH) domain and N-terminal 80 amino acids. Interestingly, phosphorylation of the Hec1 by Aurora B weakens its interaction with microtubules but promotes Hec1 binding to Mps1. Significantly, the temporal regulation of Hec1 phosphorylation orchestrates kinetochore-microtubule attachment and Mps1 loading to the kinetochore. Persistent expression of phosphomimetic Hec1 mutant induces a hyperactivation of SAC, suggesting that phosphorylation-elicited Hec1 conformational change is used as a switch to orchestrate SAC activation to concurrent destabilization of aberrant kinetochore attachment. Taken together, these results define a novel role for Aurora B-Hec1-Mps1 signaling axis in governing accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis.

Determinants of robustness in spindle assembly checkpoint signalling

The spindle assembly checkpoint is a conserved signalling pathway that protects genome integrity. Given its central importance, this checkpoint should withstand stochastic fluctuations and environmental perturbations, but the extent of and mechanisms underlying its robustness remain unknown. We probed spindle assembly checkpoint signalling by modulating checkpoint protein abundance and nutrient conditions in fission yeast. For core checkpoint proteins, a mere 20% reduction can suffice to impair signalling, revealing a surprising fragility. Quantification of protein abundance in single cells showed little variability (noise) of critical proteins, explaining why the checkpoint normally functions reliably. Checkpoint-mediated stoichiometric inhibition of the anaphase activator Cdc20 (Slp1 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe) can account for the tolerance towards small fluctuations in protein abundance and explains our observation that some perturbations lead to non-genetic variation in the checkpoint response. Our work highlights low gene expression noise as an important determinant of reliable checkpoint signalling.

Kinetic framework of spindle assembly checkpoint signalling

The mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) delays anaphase onset until all chromosomes have attached to both spindle poles. Here, we investigated SAC signalling kinetics in response to acute detachment of individual chromosomes using laser microsurgery. Most detached chromosomes delayed anaphase until they had realigned to the metaphase plate. A substantial fraction of cells, however, entered anaphase in the presence of unaligned chromosomes. We identify two mechanisms by which cells can bypass the SAC: first, single unattached chromosomes inhibit the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) less efficiently than a full complement of unattached chromosomes; second, because of the relatively slow kinetics of re-imposing APC/C inhibition during metaphase, cells were unresponsive to chromosome detachment up to several minutes before anaphase onset. Our study defines when cells irreversibly commit to enter anaphase and shows that the SAC signal strength correlates with the number of unattached chromosomes. Detailed knowledge about SAC signalling kinetics is important for understanding the emergence of aneuploidy and the response of cancer cells to chemotherapeutics targeting the mitotic spindle.

Bub3 reads phosphorylated MELT repeats to promote spindle assembly checkpoint signaling

Regulation of macromolecular interactions by phosphorylation is crucial in signaling networks. In the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), which enables errorless chromosome segregation, phosphorylation promotes recruitment of SAC proteins to tensionless kinetochores. The SAC kinase Mps1 phosphorylates multiple Met-Glu-Leu-Thr (MELT) motifs on the kinetochore subunit Spc105/Knl1. The phosphorylated MELT motifs (MELT(P)) then promote recruitment of downstream signaling components. How MELT(P) motifs are recognized is unclear. In this study, we report that Bub3, a 7-bladed β-propeller, is the MELT(P) reader. It contains an exceptionally well-conserved interface that docks the MELT(P) sequence on the side of the β-propeller in a previously unknown binding mode. Mutations targeting the Bub3 interface prevent kinetochore recruitment of the SAC kinase Bub1. Crucially, they also cause a checkpoint defect, showing that recognition of phosphorylated targets by Bub3 is required for checkpoint signaling. Our data provide the first detailed mechanistic insight into how phosphorylation promotes recruitment of checkpoint proteins to kinetochores. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01030.001.