The spindle assembly checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint monitors proper chromosome attachment to spindle microtubules and is conserved from yeast to humans. Checkpoint components reside on kinetochores of chromosomes and show changes in phosphorylation and localization as cells proceed through mitosis. Adaptation to prolonged checkpoint arrest can occur by inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc2.     

A quantitative systems view of the spindle assembly checkpoint

The idle assembly checkpoint acts to delay chromosome segregation until all duplicated sister chromatids are captured by the mitotic spindle. This pathway ensures that each daughter cell receives a complete copy of the genome. The high fidelity and robustness of this process have made it a subject of intense study in both the experimental and computational realms. A significant number of checkpoint proteins have been identified but how they orchestrate the communication between local spindle attachment and global cytoplasmic signalling to delay segregation is not yet understood. Here, we propose a systems view of the spindle assembly checkpoint to focus attention on the key regulators of the dynamics of this pathway. These regulators in turn have been the subject of detailed cellular measurements and computational modelling to connect molecular function to the dynamics of spindle assembly checkpoint signalling. A review of these efforts reveals the insights provided by such approaches and underscores the need for further interdisciplinary studies to reveal in full the quantitative underpinnings of this cellular control pathway.     

Releasing the spindle assembly checkpoint without tension

Proteins of the Bcl-2 family are critical regulators of apoptosis, but how its BH3-only members activate the essential effectors Bax and Bak remains controversial. The indirect activation model suggests that they simply must neutralize all of the prosurvival Bcl-2 family members, whereas the direct activation model proposes that Bim and Bid must activate Bax and Bak directly. As numerous in vitro studies have not resolved this issue, we have investigated Bim''s activity in vivo by a genetic approach. Because the BH3 domain determines binding specificity for Bcl-2 relatives, we generated mice having the Bim BH3 domain replaced by that of Bad, Noxa, or Puma. The mutants bound the expected subsets of prosurvival relatives but lost interaction with Bax. Analysis of the mice showed that Bim''s proapoptotic activity is not solely caused by its ability to engage its prosurvival relatives or solely to its binding to Bax. Thus, initiation of apoptosis in vivo appears to require features of both models.     

Kinetochore stretching inactivates the spindle assembly checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) monitors the attachment of microtubules to the kinetochore and inhibits anaphase when microtubule binding is incomplete. The SAC might also respond to tension; however, how cells can sense tension and whether its detection is important to satisfy the SAC remain controversial. We generated a HeLa cell line in which two components of the kinetochore, centromere protein A and Mis12, are labeled with green and red fluorophores, respectively. Live cell imaging of these cells reveals repetitive cycles of kinetochore extension and recoiling after biorientation. Under conditions in which kinetochore stretching is suppressed, cells fail to silence the SAC and enter anaphase after a delay, regardless of centromere stretching. Monitoring cyclin B levels as a readout for anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome activity, we find that suppression of kinetochore stretching delays and decelerates cyclin B degradation. These observations suggest that the SAC monitors stretching of kinetochores rather than centromeres and that kinetochore stretching promotes silencing of the SAC signal.     

The APC/C maintains the spindle assembly checkpoint by targeting Cdc20 for destruction

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is required to block sister chromatid separation until all chromosomes are properly attached to the mitotic apparatus. The SAC prevents cells from entering anaphase by inhibiting the ubiquitylation of cyclin B1 and securin by the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) ubiquitin ligase. The target of the SAC is the essential APC/C activator Cdc20. It is unclear how the SAC inactivates Cdc20 but most current models suggest that Cdc20 forms a stable complex with the Mad2 checkpoint protein. Here we show that most Cdc20 is not in a complex with Mad2; instead Mad2 is required for Cdc20 to form a complex with another checkpoint protein, BubR1. We further show that during the SAC, the APC/C ubiquitylates Cdc20 to target it for degradation. Thus, ubiquitylation of human Cdc20 is not required to release it from the checkpoint complex, but to degrade it to maintain mitotic arrest.     

In-silico modeling of the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint

Background

The Mitotic Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (^MSAC) is an evolutionary conserved mechanism that ensures the correct segregation of chromosomes by restraining cell cycle progression from entering anaphase until all chromosomes have made proper bipolar attachments to the mitotic spindle. Its malfunction can lead to cancer.

Principle Findings

We have constructed and validated for the human ^MSAC mechanism an in silico dynamical model, integrating 11 proteins and complexes. The model incorporates the perspectives of three central control pathways, namely Mad1/Mad2 induced Cdc20 sequestering based on the Template Model, MCC formation, and APC inhibition. Originating from the biochemical reactions for the underlying molecular processes, non-linear ordinary differential equations for the concentrations of 11 proteins and complexes of the ^MSAC are derived. Most of the kinetic constants are taken from literature, the remaining four unknown parameters are derived by an evolutionary optimization procedure for an objective function describing the dynamics of the APC:Cdc20 complex. MCC:APC dissociation is described by two alternatives, namely the “Dissociation” and the “Convey” model variants. The attachment of the kinetochore to microtubuli is simulated by a switching parameter silencing those reactions which are stopped by the attachment. For both, the Dissociation and the Convey variants, we compare two different scenarios concerning the microtubule attachment dependent control of the dissociation reaction. Our model is validated by simulation of ten perturbation experiments.

Conclusion

Only in the controlled case, our models show ^MSAC behaviour at meta- to anaphase transition in agreement with experimental observations. Our simulations revealed that for ^MSAC activation, Cdc20 is not fully sequestered; instead APC is inhibited by MCC binding.     

Deficient spindle assembly checkpoint in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological disease characterized by an abnormal accumulation of plasma cells in the bone marrow. These cells have frequent cytogenetic abnormalities including translocations of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene and chromosomal gains and losses. In fact, a singular characteristic differentiating MM from other hematological malignancies is the presence of a high degree of aneuploidies. As chromosomal abnormalities can be generated by alterations in the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), the functionality of such checkpoint was tested in MM. When SAC components were analyzed in MM cell lines, the RNA levels of most of them were conserved. Nevertheless, the protein content of some key constituents was very low in several cell lines, as was the case of MAD2 or CDC20 in RPMI-8226 or RPMI-LR5 cells. The recovery of their cellular content did not substantially affect cell growth, but improved their ability to segregate chromosomes. Finally, SAC functionality was tested by challenging cells with agents disrupting microtubule dynamics. Most of the cell lines analyzed exhibited functional defects in this checkpoint. Based on the data obtained, alterations both in SAC components and their functionality have been detected in MM, pointing to this pathway as a potential target in MM treatment.     

Cdc20 and Cks direct the spindle checkpoint-independent destruction of cyclin A

Successful mitosis requires the right protein be degraded at the right time. Central to this is the spindle checkpoint that prevents the destruction of securin and cyclin B1 when there are improperly attached chromosomes. The principal target of the checkpoint is Cdc20, which activates the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C). A Drosophila Cdc20/fizzy mutant arrests in mitosis with high levels of cyclins A and B, but paradoxically the spindle checkpoint does not stabilize cyclin A. Here, we investigated this paradox and found that Cdc20 is rate limiting for cyclin A destruction. Indeed, Cdc20 binds efficiently to cyclin A before and in mitosis, and this complex has little associated Mad2. Furthermore, the cyclin A complex must bind to a Cks protein to be degraded independently of the checkpoint. Thus, we identify a crucial role for the Cks proteins in mitosis and one mechanism by which the APC/C can target substrates independently of the spindle checkpoint.     

Tracing the pathway of spindle assembly checkpoint signaling.

Most current models of spindle assembly checkpoint signaling involve inhibition of the Cdc20-APC by Mad2 protein. Interestingly, a paper from Hongtao Yu and colleagues in this issue of Developmental Cell suggests that the Cdc20/APC can also be inhibited in a Mad2-independent manner by a complex of proteins that includes BubR1.     

Requirement for proteolysis in spindle assembly checkpoint silencing

Anaphase initiation requires ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis of crucial substrates through activation of the ubiquitin ligase Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) in association with its coactivator Cdc20. To prevent chromosome segregation errors, effector proteins of a safeguard mechanism called spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), Mad2 and BubR1, bind Cdc20 and restrain APC/C^Cdc20 activation until spindle assembly. Coordinated chromosome segregation also requires timely SAC inactivation. Spindle assembly appears necessary to silence SAC, however, how resolution of the SAC effector branch is achieved is still largely unknown. We show here that the complex between Mad2 and Cdc20 peaked at prometaphase in mammalian cells, while its dissociation proceeded along with spindle assembly and required proteolysis. Proteolysis did not appear required for assembly of metaphase spindles but rather needed for Mad2-Cdc20 complex resolution by promoting reversal of phosphorylations that maintain the complex. Indeed, in the absence of proteolysis, Mad2-Cdc20 complex dissociation was reversed by treatment with cyclin-dependent kinase or Aurora kinase inhibitors. Mad2-Cdc20 disassembly was, however, resistant to the potent PP1 and PP2A phosphatases inhibitor okadaic acid. We propose that SAC silencing in mammalian cells requires proteolysis-dependent activation of okadaic acid-resistant phosphatase(s) to reverse phosphorylations that lock the Mad2-Cdc20 complex.     

Crystal structure of the spindle assembly checkpoint protein Bub3

Bub3 is one of at least six proteins that transmit the spindle assembly checkpoint signal. These proteins delay cell cycle progression from metaphase to anaphase in response to attachment defects between kinetochores and spindle microtubules and to tension defects between sister chromatids. To explore the molecular interactions mediated by Bub3, we have determined the crystal structure of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein Bub3p at 2.35 A resolution. Bub3p is a seven-blade beta-propeller, although its sequence diverges from that of other WD40 family members. Several loops are substantially elongated, but extra domains or insertions are not present at the termini. In particular, two extended loops project from the top face of the propeller, forming a cleft. Amino acid residues across the top face and one aspect of the lateral surface (spanning blades 5-6) are highly conserved among Bub3 proteins. We propose that these conserved surfaces are the loci for key interactions with conserved motifs in spindle checkpoint proteins Bub1 and Mad3/BubR1. Comparison of the Bub3 sequence to the WD40 protein, Rae1, shows high sequence conservation along the same surfaces. Rae1 interaction with Bub1 is, therefore, likely to involve a similar mode of binding.     

BRCA1 is required for meiotic spindle assembly and spindle assembly checkpoint activation in mouse oocytes

BRCA1 as a tumor suppressor has been widely investigated in mitosis, but its functions in meiosis are unclear. In the present study, we examined the expression, localization, and function of BRCA1 during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. We found that expression level of BRCA1 was increased progressively from germinal vesicle to metaphase I stage, and then remained stable until metaphase II stage. Immunofluorescent analysis showed that BRCA1 was localized to the spindle poles at metaphase I and metaphase II stages, colocalizing with centrosomal protein gamma-tubulin. Taxol treatment resulted in the presence of BRCA1 onto the spindle microtubule fibers, whereas nocodazole treatment induced the localization of BRCA1 onto the chromosomes. Depletion of BRCA1 by both antibody injection and siRNA injection caused severely impaired spindles and misaligned chromosomes. Furthermore, BRCA1-depleted oocytes could not arrest at the metaphase I in the presence of low-dose nocodazole, suggesting that the spindle checkpoint is defective. Also, in BRCA1-depleted oocytes, gamma-tubulin dissociated from spindle poles and MAD2L1 failed to rebind to the kinetochores when exposed to nocodazole at metaphase I stage. Collectively, these data indicate that BRCA1 regulates not only meiotic spindle assembly, but also spindle assembly checkpoint, implying a link between BRCA1 deficiency and aneuploid embryos.     

Mimicking Ndc80 phosphorylation triggers spindle assembly checkpoint signalling

The protein kinase Mps1 is, among others, essential for the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). We found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mps1 interacts physically with the N-terminal domain of Ndc80 (Ndc80¹⁻²⁵⁷), a constituent of the Ndc80 kinetochore complex. Furthermore, Mps1 effectively phosphorylates Ndc80¹⁻²⁵⁷ in vitro and facilitates Ndc80 phosphorylation in vivo. Mutating 14 of the phosphorylation sites to alanine results in compromised checkpoint signalling upon nocodazole treatment of mutants. Mutating the identical sites to aspartate (to simulate constitutive phosphorylation) causes a metaphase arrest with wild-type-like bipolar kinetochore–microtubule attachment. This arrest is due to a constitutively active SAC and consequently the inviable aspartate mutant can be rescued by disrupting SAC signalling. Therefore, we conclude that a putative Mps1-dependent phosphorylation of Ndc80 is important for SAC activation at kinetochores.     

Anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome-dependent proteolysis of human cyclin A starts at the beginning of mitosis and is not subject to the spindle assembly checkpoint

Cyclin A is a stable protein in S and G2 phases, but is destabilized when cells enter mitosis and is almost completely degraded before the metaphase to anaphase transition. Microinjection of antibodies against subunits of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) or against human Cdc20 (fizzy) arrested cells at metaphase and stabilized both cyclins A and B1. Cyclin A was efficiently polyubiquitylated by Cdc20 or Cdh1-activated APC/C in vitro, but in contrast to cyclin B1, the proteolysis of cyclin A was not delayed by the spindle assembly checkpoint. The degradation of cyclin B1 was accelerated by inhibition of the spindle assembly checkpoint. These data suggest that the APC/C is activated as cells enter mitosis and immediately targets cyclin A for degradation, whereas the spindle assembly checkpoint delays the degradation of cyclin B1 until the metaphase to anaphase transition. The "destruction box" (D-box) of cyclin A is 10-20 residues longer than that of cyclin B. Overexpression of wild-type cyclin A delayed the metaphase to anaphase transition, whereas expression of cyclin A mutants lacking a D-box arrested cells in anaphase.     

Regulated inactivation of the spindle assembly checkpoint without functional mitotic spindles

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) arrests mitosis until bipolar attachment of spindle microtubules to all chromosomes is accomplished. However, when spindle formation is prevented and the SAC cannot be satisfied, mammalian cells can eventually overcome the mitotic arrest while the checkpoint is still activated. We find that Aspergillus nidulans cells, which are unable to satisfy the SAC, inactivate the checkpoint after a defined period of mitotic arrest. Such SAC inactivation allows normal nuclear reassembly and mitotic exit without DNA segregation. We demonstrate that the mechanisms, which govern such SAC inactivation, require protein synthesis and can occur independently of inactivation of the major mitotic regulator Cdk1/Cyclin B or mitotic exit. Moreover, in the continued absence of spindle function cells transit multiple cell cycles in which the SAC is reactivated each mitosis before again being inactivated. Such cyclic activation and inactivation of the SAC suggests that it is subject to cell-cycle regulation that is independent of bipolar spindle function.     

Aberrantly segregating centromeres activate the spindle assembly checkpoint in budding yeast

The spindle assembly checkpoint is the mechanism or set of mechanisms that prevents cells with defects in chromosome alignment or spindle assembly from passing through mitosis. We have investigated the effects of mini-chromosomes on this checkpoint in budding yeast by performing pedigree analysis. This method allowed us to observe the frequency and duration of cell cycle delays in individual cells. Short, centromeric linear mini-chromosomes, which have a low fidelity of segregation, cause frequent delays in mitosis. Their circular counterparts and longer linear mini-chromosomes, which segregate more efficiently, show a much lower frequency of mitotic delays, but these delays occur much more frequently in divisions where the mini-chromosome segregates to only one of the two daughter cells. Using a conditional centromere to increase the copy number of a circular mini-chromosome greatly increases the frequency of delayed divisions. In all cases the division delays are completely abolished by the mad mutants that inactivate the spindle assembly checkpoint, demonstrating that the Mad gene products are required to detect the subtle defects in chromosome behavior that have been observed to arrest higher eukaryotic cells in mitosis.