Zhen Dou

Uncoupling of the spindle-checkpoint and chromosome-congression functions of BubR1

The BubR1 checkpoint protein performs multiple functions in mitosis. We have carried out a functional analysis of conserved motifs of human BubR1 (also known as BUB1B) and demonstrate that spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) and chromosome attachment functions can be uncoupled from each other. Mutation of five proline-directed serine phosphorylation sites, identified in vivo by mass spectrometry, essentially abolishes attachment of chromosomes to the spindle but has no effect on SAC functionality. By contrast, mutation of the two conserved KEN boxes required for SAC function does not impact chromosome congression. Interestingly, the contribution of the two KEN-box motifs is not equal. Cdc20 associates with the N-terminal but not C-terminal KEN box, and mutation of the N-terminal KEN motif results in more severe acceleration of mitotic timing. Moreover, the two KEN motifs are not sufficient for maximal binding of Cdc20 and APC/C, which also requires sequences in the BubR1 C-terminus. Finally, mutation of the GLEBS motif causes loss of Bub3 interaction and mislocalization of BubR1 from the kinetochore; concomitantly, BubR1 phosphorylation as well as SAC activity and chromosome congression are impaired, indicating that the GLEBS motif is strictly required for both major functions of human BubR1.

Phosphorylation of HsMis13 by Aurora B kinase is essential for assembly of functional kinetochore.

Chromosome movements in mitosis are orchestrated by dynamic interactions between spindle microtubules and the kinetochore, a multiprotein complex assembled onto centromeric DNA of the chromosome. Here we show that phosphorylation of human HsMis13 by Aurora B kinase is required for functional kinetochore assembly in HeLa cells. Aurora B interacts with HsMis13 in vitro and in vivo. HsMis13 is a cognate substrate of Aurora B, and the phosphorylation sites were mapped to Ser-100 and Ser-109. Suppression of Aurora B kinase by either small interfering RNA or chemical inhibitors abrogates the localization of HsMis13 but not HsMis12 to the kinetochore. In addition, non-phosphorylatable but not wild type and phospho-mimicking HsMis13 failed to localize to the kinetochore, demonstrating the requirement of phosphorylation by Aurora B for the assembly of HsMis13 to kinetochore. In fact, localization of HsMis13 to the kinetochore is spatiotemporally regulated by Aurora B kinase, which is essential for recruiting outer kinetochore components such as Ndc80 components and CENP-E for functional kinetochore assembly. Importantly, phospho-mimicking mutant HsMis13 restores the assembly of CENP-E to the kinetochore, and tension developed across the sister kinetochores in Aurora B-inhibited cells. Thus, we reason that HsMis13 phosphorylation by Aurora B is required for organizing a stable bi-oriented microtubule kinetochore attachment that is essential for faithful chromosome segregation in mitosis.

Function and regulation of Aurora/Ipl1p kinase family in cell division.

ABSTRACTDuring mitosis, the parent cell distributes its genetic materials equally into two daughter cells through chromosome segregation, a complex movements orchestrated by mitotic kinases and its effector proteins. Faithful chromosome segregation and cytokinesis ensure that each daughter cell receives a full copy of genetic materials of parent cell. Defects in these processes can lead to aneuploidy or polyploidy. Aurora/Ipl1p family, a class of conserved serine/threonine kinases, plays key roles in chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. This article highlights the function and regulation of Aurora/Ipl1p family in mitosis and provides potential links between aberrant regulation of Aurora/Ipl1p kinases and pathogenesis of human cancer.

Quantitative mass spectrometry analysis reveals similar substrate consensus motif for human Mps1 kinase and Plk1.

Background Members of the Mps1 kinase family play an essential and evolutionarily conserved role in the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), a surveillance mechanism that ensures accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis. Human Mps1 (hMps1) is highly phosphorylated during mitosis and many phosphorylation sites have been identified. However, the upstream kinases responsible for these phosphorylations are not presently known. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we identify 29 in vivo phosphorylation sites in hMps1. While in vivo analyses indicate that Aurora B and hMps1 activity are required for mitotic hyper-phosphorylation of hMps1, in vitro kinase assays show that Cdk1, MAPK, Plk1 and hMps1 itself can directly phosphorylate hMps1. Although Aurora B poorly phosphorylates hMps1 in vitro, it positively regulates the localization of Mps1 to kinetochores in vivo. Most importantly, quantitative mass spectrometry analysis demonstrates that at least 12 sites within hMps1 can be attributed to autophosphorylation. Remarkably, these hMps1 autophosphorylation sites closely resemble the consensus motif of Plk1, demonstrating that these two mitotic kinases share a similar substrate consensus. Conclusions/Significance hMps1 kinase is regulated by Aurora B kinase and its autophosphorylation. Analysis on hMps1 autophosphorylation sites demonstrates that hMps1 has a substrate preference similar to Plk1 kinase.

CENP-U Cooperates with Hec1 to Orchestrate Kinetochore-Microtubule Attachment

Mitosis is an orchestration of dynamic interaction between chromosomes and spindle microtubules by which genomic materials are equally distributed into two daughter cells. Previous studies showed that CENP-U is a constitutive centromere component essential for proper chromosome segregation. However, the precise molecular mechanism has remained elusive. Here, we identified CENP-U as a novel interacting partner of Hec1, an evolutionarily conserved kinetochore core component essential for chromosome plasticity. Suppression of CENP-U by shRNA resulted in mitotic defects with an impaired kinetochore-microtubule attachment. Interestingly, CENP-U not only binds microtubules directly but also displays a cooperative microtubule binding activity with Hec1 in vitro. Furthermore, we showed that CENP-U is a substrate of Aurora-B. Importantly, phosphorylation of CENP-U leads to reduced kinetochore-microtubule interaction, which contributes to the error-correcting function of Aurora-B. Taken together, our results indicate that CENP-U is a novel microtubule binding protein and plays an important role in kinetochore-microtubule attachment through its interaction with Hec1.

Mitotic Regulator Mis18β Interacts with and Specifies the Centromeric Assembly of Molecular Chaperone Holliday Junction Recognition Protein (HJURP)

Background: HJURP is a molecular chaperone essential for the deposition of the centromere marker CENP-A. Results: Mis18β binds with and specifies the centromere localization of HJURP. Conclusion: Mis18β governs centromere assembly via the Mis18β-HJURP-CENP-A axis. Significance: Our finding reveals a novel mechanism underlying CENP-A incorporation into the centromere. The centromere is essential for precise and equal segregation of the parental genome into two daughter cells during mitosis. CENP-A is a unique histone H3 variant conserved in eukaryotic centromeres. The assembly of CENP-A to the centromere is mediated by Holliday junction recognition protein (HJURP) in early G1 phase. However, it remains elusive how HJURP governs CENP-A incorporation into the centromere. Here we show that human HJURP directly binds to Mis18β, a component of the Mis18 complex conserved in the eukaryotic kingdom. A minimal region of HJURP for Mis18β binding was mapped to residues 437–460. Depletion of Mis18β by RNA interference dramatically impaired HJURP recruitment to the centromere, indicating the importance of Mis18β in HJURP loading. Interestingly, phosphorylation of HJURP by CDK1 weakens its interaction with Mis18β, consistent with the notion that assembly of CENP-A to the centromere is achieved after mitosis. Taken together, these data define a novel molecular mechanism underlying the temporal regulation of CENP-A incorporation into the centromere by accurate Mis18β-HJURP interaction.

CENP-E Kinesin Interacts with SKAP Protein to Orchestrate Accurate Chromosome Segregation in Mitosis

Background: CENP-E is a kinetochore-associated kinesin responsible for chromosome congression in mitosis. Results: CENP-E interacts with SKAP to orchestrate kinetochore-microtubule interaction. Conclusion: The SKAP-CENP-E interaction links kinetochore structural components to the spindle microtubule attachment in the centromere. Significance: SKAP cooperates with CENP-E to ensure chromosome stability in cell division. Mitotic chromosome segregation is orchestrated by the dynamic interaction of spindle microtubules with the kinetochore. Although previous studies show that the mitotic kinesin CENP-E forms a link between attachment of the spindle microtubule to the kinetochore and the mitotic checkpoint signaling cascade, the molecular mechanism underlying dynamic kinetochore-microtubule interactions in mammalian cells remains elusive. Here, we identify a novel interaction between CENP-E and SKAP that functions synergistically in governing dynamic kinetochore-microtubule interactions. SKAP binds to the C-terminal tail of CENP-E in vitro and is essential for an accurate kinetochore-microtubule attachment in vivo. Immunoelectron microscopic analysis indicates that SKAP is a constituent of the kinetochore corona fibers of mammalian centromeres. Depletion of SKAP or CENP-E by RNA interference results in a dramatic reduction of inter-kinetochore tension, which causes chromosome mis-segregation with a prolonged delay in achieving metaphase alignment. Importantly, SKAP binds to microtubules in vitro, and this interaction is synergized by CENP-E. Based on these findings, we propose that SKAP cooperates with CENP-E to orchestrate dynamic kinetochore-microtubule interaction for faithful chromosome segregation.

Phosphorylation of microtubule-binding protein Hec1 by mitotic kinase Aurora B specifies spindle checkpoint kinase Mps1 signaling at the kinetochore.

Background: Hec1 is a core component of outer kinetochore essential for chromosome segregation in mitosis. Results: Hec1 interacts with mitotic checkpoint kinase Mps1, and phosphorylation of Hec1 by Aurora B recruits Mps1 to kinetochore. Conclusion: Phosphorylation of Hec1 by Aurora B specifies Mps1 signaling at the kinetochore. Significance: Aurora B-Hec1-Mps1 axis orchestrates chromosome dynamics and stability in mitosis. 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.

Mitotic Regulator SKAP Forms a Link between Kinetochore Core Complex KMN and Dynamic Spindle Microtubules

Background: KMN (KNL/MIS12/NDC80) is a kinetochore constituent essential for chromosome movements in mitosis. Results: KMN protein specifies the kinetochore localization of SKAP. SKAP regulates spindle microtubule dynamics for accurate chromosome movements. Conclusion: The MIS13-SKAP interaction links kinetochore structural components to dynamic microtubule plus-ends. Significance: MIS13-SKAP interaction governs chromosome dynamics and stability in mitosis. Chromosome segregation in mitosis is orchestrated by the dynamic interactions between the kinetochore and spindle microtubules. Our recent study shows that mitotic motor CENP-E cooperates with SKAP to orchestrate an accurate chromosome movement in mitosis. However, it remains elusive how kinetochore core microtubule binding activity KMN (KNL1-MIS12-NDC80) regulates microtubule plus-end dynamics. Here, we identify a novel interaction between MIS13 and SKAP that orchestrates accurate interaction between kinetochore and dynamic spindle microtubules. SKAP physically interacts with MIS13 and specifies kinetochore localization of SKAP. Suppression of MIS13 by small interfering RNA abrogates the kinetochore localization of SKAP. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopic assays demonstrate that SKAP exhibits an EB1-dependent, microtubule plus-end loading and tracking in vitro. Importantly, SKAP is essential for kinetochore oscillations and dynamics of microtubule plus-ends during live cell mitosis. Based on those findings, we reason that SKAP constitutes a dynamic link between spindle microtubule plus-ends and mitotic chromosomes to achieve faithful cell division.

TTK kinase is essential for the centrosomal localization of TACC2.

Chromosome segregation in mitosis is orchestrated by dynamic interaction between spindle microtubule and the kinetochore. Our recent ultrastructural studies demonstrated a dynamic distribution of TTK, from the kinetochore to the centrosome, as cell enters into anaphase. Here, we show that a centrosomal protein TACC2 is phosphorylated in mitosis by TTK signaling pathway. TACC2 was pulled down by wild type TTK but not kinase death mutant, suggesting the potential phosphorylation‐mediated interaction between these two proteins. Our immunofluorescence studies revealed that both TTK and TACC2 are located to the centrosome. Interestingly, expression of kinase death mutant of TTK eliminated the centrosomal localization of TACC2 but not other centrosomal proteins such as γ‐tubulin and NuMA, a phenotype seen in TTK‐depleted cells. In these centrosomal TACC2‐liberated cells, chromosomes were lagging and mis‐aligned. In addition, the distance between two centrosomes was markedly reduced, suggesting that centrosomal TACC2 is required for mitotic spindle maintenance. The inter‐relationship between TTK and TACC2 established here provides new avenue to study centrosome and spindle dynamics underlying cell divisional control.