Hiroyuki Yamano

Early mitotic degradation of Nek2A depends on Cdc20- independent interaction with the APC/C

The temporal control of mitotic protein degradation remains incompletely understood. In particular, it is unclear why the mitotic checkpoint prevents the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)-mediated degradation of cyclin B and securin in early mitosis, but not cyclin A. Here, we show that another APC/C substrate, NIMA-related kinase 2A (Nek2A), is also destroyed in pro-metaphase in a checkpoint-independent manner and that this depends on an exposed carboxy-terminal methionine–arginine (MR) dipeptide tail. Truncation of the Nek2A C terminus delays its degradation until late mitosis, whereas Nek2A C-terminal peptides interfere with APC/C activity in an MR-dependent manner. Most importantly, we show that Nek2A binds directly to the APC/C, also in an MR-dependent manner, even in the absence of the adaptor protein Cdc20. As similar C-terminal dipeptide tails promote direct association of Cdc20, Cdh1 and Apc10–Doc1 with core APC/C subunits, we propose that this sequence also allows a substrate, Nek2A, to directly bind the APC/C. Thus, although Cdc20 is required for the degradation of Nek2A, it is not required for its recruitment and this renders its degradation insensitive to the mitotic checkpoint.

Targeting Mitotic Exit Leads to Tumor Regression In Vivo: Modulation by Cdk1, Mastl, and the PP2A/B55α,δ Phosphatase

Targeting mitotic exit has been recently proposed as a relevant therapeutic approach against cancer. By using genetically engineered mice, we show that the APC/C cofactor Cdc20 is essential for anaphase onset in vivo in embryonic or adult cells, including progenitor/stem cells. Ablation of Cdc20 results in efficient regression of aggressive tumors, whereas current mitotic drugs display limited effects. Yet, Cdc20 null cells can exit from mitosis upon inactivation of Cdk1 and the kinase Mastl (Greatwall). This mitotic exit depends on the activity of PP2A phosphatase complexes containing B55α or B55δ regulatory subunits. These data illustrate the relevance of critical players of mitotic exit in mammals and their implications in the balance between cell death and mitotic exit in tumor cells.

A role for the Fizzy/Cdc20 family of proteins in activation of the APC/C distinct from substrate recruitment

The Fizzy/Cdc20 family of proteins are essential activators of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), a multisubunit E3 ubiquitin ligase. However, apart from the well-established role of the C-terminal WD40 domain in substrate recognition, the precise roles of the activators remain elusive. Here we show that Nek2A, which directly binds the APC/C, can be ubiquitylated and destroyed in Fizzy/Cdc20-depleted Xenopus egg extracts when only the N-terminal domain of Fizzy/Cdc20 (N-Cdc20) is added. This activity is dependent upon the C box and is conserved in the alternative activator, Fizzy-related/Cdh1. In contrast, canonical substrates such as cyclin B and securin require both the N-terminal and WD40 domains, unless N-Cdc20 is fused to substrates when the WD40 domain becomes dispensable. Furthermore, in Cdc20-depleted cells, N-Cdc20 can facilitate Nek2A destruction in a C box-dependent manner. Our results reveal a role for the N-terminal domain of the Fizzy/Cdc20 family of activators in triggering substrate ubiquitylation by the APC/C.

A Mutual Inhibition between APC/C and Its Substrate Mes1 Required for Meiotic Progression in Fission Yeast

The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a cell-cycle-regulated essential E3 ubiquitin ligase; however, very little is known about its meiotic regulation. Here we show that fission yeast Mes1 is a substrate of the APC/C as well as an inhibitor, allowing autoregulation of the APC/C in meiosis. Both traits require a functional destruction box (D box) and KEN box. We show that Mes1 directly binds the WD40 domain of the Fizzy family of APC/C activators. Intriguingly, expression of nonubiquitylatable Mes1 blocks cells in metaphase I with high levels of APC/C substrates, suggesting that ubiquitylation of Mes1 is required for partial degradation of cyclin B in meiosis I by alleviating Mes1 inhibitory function. Consistently, a ternary complex, APC/C-Fizzy/Cdc20-Mes1, is stabilized by inhibiting Mes1 ubiquitylation. These results demonstrate that the fine-tuning of the APC/C activity, by a substrate that is also an inhibitor, is required for the precise coordination and transition through meiosis.

Dephosphorylation of Cdc20 is required for its C‐box‐dependent activation of the APC/C

The anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) ubiquitin ligase is tightly regulated to ensure programmed proteolysis in cells. The activity of the APC/C is positively controlled by cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK), but a second level of control must also exist because phosphorylation inactivates Cdc20, a mitotic APC/C co‐activator. How Cdc20 is dephosphorylated specifically, when CDK is high, has remained unexplained. Here, we show that phosphatases are crucial to activate the APC/C. Cdc20 is phosphorylated at six conserved residues (S50/T64/T68/T79/S114/S165) by CDK in Xenopus egg extracts. When all the threonine residues are phosphorylated, Cdc20 binding to and activation of the APC/C are inhibited. Their dephosphorylation is regulated depending on the sites and protein phosphatase 2A, active in mitosis, is essential to dephosphorylate the threonine residues and activate the APC/C. Consistently, most of the Cdc20 bound to the APC/C in anaphase evades phosphorylation at T79. Furthermore, we show that the ‘activation domain’ of Cdc20 associates with the Apc6 and Apc8 core subunits. Our data suggest that dephosphorylation of Cdc20 is required for its loading and activation of the APC/C ubiquitin ligase.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 1-dependent activation of APC/C ubiquitin ligase

Phosphorylation cues exit from mitosis The entry and exit from the cell cycle are controlled by waves of protein phosphorylation and degradation events. Fujimitsu et al. describe the precise mechanism by which the cell cycle machinery controls exit from mitosis. The critical event is activation of a ubiquitin ligase, the anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C). The authors used purified components and the Xenopus egg extract system to show that two subunits of APC/C were directly phosphorylated by cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). Phosphorylation of one subunit helped recruit CDK1 for further phosphorylation of another subunit. The second subunit interacted with the APC/C activator and target of anticancer therapy known as Cdc20. Science, this issue p. 1121 The critical phosphorylation events that control exit from mitosis are unraveled. Error-free genome duplication and segregation are ensured through the timely activation of ubiquitylation enzymes. The anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C), a multisubunit E3 ubiquitin ligase, is regulated by phosphorylation. However, the mechanism remains elusive. Using systematic reconstitution and analysis of vertebrate APC/Cs under physiological conditions, we show how cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) activates the APC/C through coordinated phosphorylation between Apc3 and Apc1. Phosphorylation of the loop domains by CDK1 in complex with p9/Cks2 (a CDK regulatory subunit) controlled loading of coactivator Cdc20 onto APC/C. A phosphomimetic mutation introduced into Apc1 allowed Cdc20 to increase APC/C activity in interphase. These results define a previously unrecognized subunit-subunit communication over a distance and the functional consequences of CDK phosphorylation. Cdc20 is a potential therapeutic target, and our findings may facilitate the development of specific inhibitors.

Hsk1- and SCFPof3-Dependent Proteolysis of S. pombe Ams2 Ensures Histone Homeostasis and Centromere Function

Summary Schizosaccharomyces pombe GATA factor Ams2 is responsible for cell cycle-dependent transcriptional activation of all the core histone genes peaking at G1/S phase. Intriguingly, its own protein level also fluctuates concurrently. Here, we show that Ams2 is ubiquitylated and degraded through the SCF (Skp1-Cdc53/Cullin-1-F-box) ubiquitin ligase, in which F box protein Pof3 binds this protein. Ams2 is phosphorylated at multiple sites, which is required for SCFPof3-dependent proteolysis. Hsk1/Cdc7 kinase physically associates with and phosphorylates Ams2. Even mild overexpression of Ams2 induces constitutive histone expression and chromosome instability, and its toxicity is exaggerated when Hsk1 function is compromised. This is partly attributable to abnormal incorporation of canonical H3 into the central CENP-A/Cnp1-rich centromere, thereby reversing specific chromatin structures to apparently normal nucleosomes. We propose that Hsk1 plays a vital role during post S phase in genome stability via SCFPof3-mediated degradation of Ams2, thereby maintaining centromere integrity.

A Proteome-wide Fission Yeast Interactome Reveals Network Evolution Principles from Yeasts to Human.

Here, we present FissionNet, a proteome-wide binary protein interactome for S. pombe, comprising 2,278 high-quality interactions, of which ∼ 50% were previously not reported in any species. FissionNet unravels previously unreported interactions implicated in processes such as gene silencing and pre-mRNA splicing. We developed a rigorous network comparison framework that accounts for assay sensitivity and specificity, revealing extensive species-specific network rewiring between fission yeast, budding yeast, and human. Surprisingly, although genes are better conserved between the yeasts, S. pombe interactions are significantly better conserved in human than in S. cerevisiae. Our framework also reveals that different modes of gene duplication influence the extent to which paralogous proteins are functionally repurposed. Finally, cross-species interactome mapping demonstrates that coevolution of interacting proteins is remarkably prevalent, a result with important implications for studying human disease in model organisms. Overall, FissionNet is a valuable resource for understanding protein functions and their evolution.

APC/C-Mediated Degradation in Early Mitosis: How to Avoid Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Inhibition

The APC/C is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that, by targeting substrates for proteasomal degradation, plays a major role in cell cycle control. In complex with one of two WD40 activator proteins, Cdc20 or Cdh1, the APC/C is active from early mitosis through to late G1 and during this time targets many critical regulators of the cell cycle for degradation. However, this destruction is carefully ordered to ensure that cell cycle events are executed in a timely fashion. Recent studies have begun to shed light on how the APC/C selects different substrates at different times in the cell cycle. One particular problem is how the APC/C recognizes its first set of substrates, Nek2A and cyclin A, in early mitosis when, at this time, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) inhibits most APC/C-dependent degradation. The answer may lie in how substrates are recruited to the APC/C. While checkpoint-dependent substrates appear to require Cdc20 for recruitment, experiments on the early mitotic substrate Nek2A demonstrate that it can bind the APC/C in the absence of Cdc20. The direct interaction of substrates with core subunits of the APC/C could allow their degradation to proceed unhindered even when the SAC is active.

The Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome Controls Repair and Recombination by Ubiquitylating Rhp54 in Fission Yeast

ABSTRACT Homologous recombination (HR) is important for maintaining genome integrity and for the process of meiotic chromosome segregation and the generation of variation. HR is regulated throughout the cell cycle, being prevalent in the S and G2 phases and suppressed in the G1 phase. Here we show that the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) regulates homologous recombination in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe by ubiquitylating Rhp54 (an ortholog of Rad54). We show that Rhp54 is a novel APC/C substrate that is destroyed in G1 phase in a KEN-box- and Ste9/Fizzy-related manner. The biological consequences of failing to temporally regulate HR via Rhp54 degradation are seen in haploid cells only in the absence of antirecombinase Srs2 function and are more extensive in diploid cells, which become sensitive to a range of DNA-damaging agents, including hydroxyurea, methyl methanesulfonate, bleomycin, and UV. During meiosis, expression of nondegradable Rhp54 inhibits interhomolog recombination and stimulates sister chromatid recombination. We thus propose that it is critical to control levels of Rhp54 in G1 to suppress HR repair of double-strand breaks and during meiosis to coordinate interhomolog recombination.