Securin is not required for cellular viability, but is required for normal growth of mouse embryonic fibroblasts

Sister chromatid separation depends on the release of cohesion by the activity of Esp1, a member of the caspase family [1, 2]. In budding yeast, Esp1p is kept inactive by its association with Pds1p, until the onset of anaphase, when Pds1p is ubiquitinated by the APC/Cdc20 complex [3--5] and subsequently degraded by the 26S proteasome. Pds1 is not an essential gene in budding yeast, but is required for cell cycle arrest prior to anaphase in response to the disruption of spindle structures [6, 7]. Thus, Pds1 mutant yeast cells display precocious sister chromatid separation in the presence of nocodazole [6]. Mammalian orthologs of yeast Esp1 and Pds1, separin and securin, have been identified [8], and, as anticipated, a nondegradable mutant form of securin inhibits sister separation when added to mitotic Xenopus egg extracts [8]. Securin was also independently identified as PTTG (pituitary tumor transforming gene), a gene overexpressed in pituitary tumors [9]. The relationship between its overexpression in tumors and its control of sister chromatid cohesion remains ill defined. To explore securin function in mammals, we took a targeted gene disruption approach in mice. Here, we report that securin is neither essential for cell viability nor required for spindle checkpoint function, and mice lacking securin are viable and apparently normal, but mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking securin grow abnormally in culture.     

Pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG) regulates placental JEG-3 cell division and survival: evidence from live cell imaging

The pituitary transforming gene, PTTG, is abundantly expressed in endocrine neoplasms. PTTG has recently been recognized as a mammalian securin based on its biochemical homology to Pds1p. PTTG expression and intracellular localization were therefore studied during the cell cycle in human placental JEG-3 cells. PTTG mRNA and protein expressions were low at the G1/S border, gradually increased during S phase, and peaked at G2/M, but PTTG levels were attenuated as cells entered G1. In interphase cells, wild-type PTTG, an epitope-tagged PTTG, and a PTTG-EGFP conjugate all localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm, but in mitotic cells, PTTG was not observed in the chromosome region. PTTG-EGFP colocalized with mitotic spindles in early mitosis and was degraded in anaphase. Intracellular fates of PTTG-EGFP and a conjugate of EGFP and a mutant inactivated PTTG devoid of an SH3-binding domain were observed by real-time visualization of the EGFP conjugates in live cells. The same cells were continuously observed as they progressed from G1/S border to S, G2/M, and G1. Most cells (67%) expressing PTTG-EGFP died by apoptosis, and few cells (4%) expressing PTTG-EGFP divided, whereas those expressing mutant PTTG-EGFP divided. PTTG-EGFP, as well as the mutant PTTG-EGFP, disappeared after cells divided. The results show that PTTG expression and localization are cell cycle-dependent and demonstrate that PTTG regulates endocrine tumor cell division and survival.     

PTTG1/securin modulates microtubule nucleation and cell migration

Pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG1), also known as securin, has been implicated in many biological functions, including inhibition of sister chromatid separation, DNA repair, organ development, and regulation of the expression and secretion of angiogenic and metastatic factors. Although most of these functions of securin seem to depend on the localization of PTTG1 in the nucleus of the cell, a fraction of the protein has been also detected in the cytoplasm. Here we demonstrate that, in different cell types, a portion of cytoplasmic PTTG1 is associated with the cis face of the Golgi apparatus and that this localization depends on PTTG1 phosphorylation status. In this organelle, PTTG1 forms a complex with proteins involved in microtubule nucleation, including GM130, AKAP450, and γ-tubulin. RNA interference-mediated depletion of PTTG1 produces a delay in centrosomal and noncentrosomal microtubule nucleation. Cells lacking PTTG1 show severe defects in both cell polarization and migration in wound-healing assays. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the role of PTTG1 in microtubule nucleation and cell polarization, two processes directly involved in cell migration. We believe that these findings will contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying PTTG1-mediated biological functions.     

Critical Differences between Isoforms of Securin Reveal Mechanisms of Separase Regulation

Sister chromatid separation depends on the activity of separase, which in turn requires the proteolysis of its inhibitor, securin. It has been speculated that securin also supports the activation of separase. In this study, we found that PTTG1 was the major securin isoform expressed in most normal and cancer cell lines. Remarkably, a highly homologous isoform called PTTG2 was unable to interact with separase. Using chimeras between PTTG1 and PTTG2 and other approaches, we pinpointed a single amino acid that accounted for the loss of securin function in PTTG2. Mutation of the homologous position in PTTG1 (H¹³⁴) switched PTTG1 from an inhibitor into an activator of separase. In agreement with this, PTTG1 lacking H¹³⁴ was able to trigger premature sister chromatid separation. Conversely, introduction of H¹³⁴ into PTTG2 is sufficient to allow it to bind separase. These data demonstrate that while the motif containing H¹³⁴ has a strong affinity for separase and is involved in inhibiting it, another domain(s) is involved in activating separase and has a weaker affinity for it. Although PTTG2 lacks securin function, its differences from PTTG1 provide evidence of independent inhibitory and activating functions of PTTG1 on separase.     

The meiosis I-to-meiosis II transition in mouse oocytes requires separase activity

Faithful segregation of homologous chromosomes during the first meiotic division is essential for further embryo development. The question at issue is whether the same mechanisms ensuring correct separation of sister chromatids in mitosis are at work during the first meiotic division. In mitosis, sister chromatids are linked by a cohesin complex holding them together until their disjunction at anaphase. Their disjunction is mediated by Separase, which cleaves the cohesin. The activation of Separase requires prior degradation of its associated inhibitor, called securin. Securin is a target of the APC/C (Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome), a cell cycle-regulated ubiquitin ligase that ubiquitinates securin at the metaphase-to-anaphase transition and thereby targets it for degradation by the 26S proteasome. After securin degradation, Separase cleaves the cohesins and triggers chromatid separation, a prerequisite for anaphase. In yeast and worms, the segregation of homologous chromosomes in meiosis I depends on the APC/C and Separase activity. Yet, it is unclear if Separase is required for the first meiotic division in vertebrates because APC/C activity is thought to be dispensable in frog oocytes. We therefore investigated if Separase activity is required for correct chromosome segregation in meiosis I in mouse oocytes.     

Securin and separase phosphorylation act redundantly to maintain sister chromatid cohesion in mammalian cells

The spindle assembly checkpoint monitors the integrity of the spindle microtubules, which attach to sister chromatids at kinetochores and play a vital role in preserving genome stability by preventing missegregation. A key target of the spindle assembly checkpoint is securin, the separase inhibitor. In budding yeast, loss of securin results in precocious sister chromatid separation when the microtubule spindle is disrupted. However, in contrast to budding yeast, mammalian securin is not required for spindle checkpoint, suggesting that there are redundant mechanisms controlling the dissolution of sister chromatid cohesion in the absence of securin. One candidate mechanism is the inhibitory phosphorylation of separase. We generated a nonphosphorylable point mutant (S1121A) separase allele in securin-/- mouse embryonic stem cells. Securin(-/-)separase(+/S1121A) cells are viable but fail to maintain sister chromatid cohesion in response to the disruption of spindle microtubules, show enhanced sensitivity to nocodazole, and cannot recover from prometaphase arrest.     

Securin degradation is mediated by fzy and fzr, and is required for complete chromatid separation but not for cytokinesis

We have studied the ubiquitination and degradation patterns of the human securin/PTTG protein. We show that, in contrast to budding yeast pds1, securin degradation is catalyzed by both fzy (fizzy/cdc20) and fzr (fizzy-related/cdh1/hct1). Both fzy and fzr also induce the APC/C to ubiquitinate securin in vitro. Securin degradation is mediated by an RXXL destruction box and a KEN box, and is inhibited only when both sequences are mutated. Interestingly, the non-degradable securin mutant is also partially ubiquitinated by fzy and fzr in vitro. Expressing the non-degradable securin mutant in cells frequently resulted in incomplete chromatid separation and gave rise to daughter cells connected by a thin chromatin fiber, presumably of chromosomes that failed to split completely. Strikingly, the mutant securin did not prevent the majority of sister chromatids from separating completely, nor did it prevent mitotic cyclin degradation and cytokinesis. This phenotype, reminiscent of the fission yeast cut (cells untimely torn) phenotype, is reported here for the first time in mammals.     

Overexpression of the Pituitary Tumor Transforming Gene Induces p53-dependent Senescence through Activating DNA Damage Response Pathway in Normal Human Fibroblasts

Pituitary tumor transforming gene (PTTG1, securin) is involved in cell-cycle control through inhibition of sister-chromatid separation. Elevated levels of PTTG1 were found to be associated with many different tumor types that might be involved in late stage tumor progression. However, the role of PTTG1 in early stage of tumorigenesis is unclear. Here we utilized the adenovirus expression system to deliver PTTG1 into normal human fibroblasts to evaluate the role of PTTG1 in tumorigenesis. Expressing PTTG1 in normal human fibroblasts inhibited cell proliferation. Several senescence-associated (SA) phenotypes including increased SA-β-galactosidase activities, decreased bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, and increased SA-heterochromatin foci formation were also observed in PTTG1-expressing cells, indicating that PTTG1 overexpression induced a senescent phenotype in normal cells. Significantly, the PTTG1-induced senescence is p53-dependent and telomerase-independent, which is distinctively different from that of replicative senescence. The mechanism of PTTG1-induced senescence was also analyzed. Consistent with its role in regulating sister-chromatid separation, overexpression of PTTG1 inhibited the activation of separase. Consequently, the numbers of cells with abnormal nuclei morphologies and chromosome separations were increased, which resulted in activation of the DNA damage response. Thus, we concluded that PTTG1 overexpression in normal human fibroblasts caused chromosome instability, which subsequently induced p53-dependent senescence through activation of DNA-damage response pathway.     

L2dtl is essential for cell survival and nuclear division in early mouse embryonic development

l(2)dtl (lethal (2) denticleless), is an embryonic lethal homozygous mutation initially identified in Drosophila melanogaster that produces embryos that lack ventral denticle belts. In addition to nucleotide sequence, bioinformatic analysis has revealed a conservation of critical functional motifs among the human L2DTL, mouse L2dtl, and Drosophila l(2)dtl proteins. The function of the L2DTL protein in the development of mammalian embryos was studied using targeted disruption of the L2dtl gene in mice. The knock-out resulted in early embryonic lethality. L2dtl-/- embryos were deformed and terminated development at the 4-8-cell stage. Microinjection of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) vector (siRNA-L2dtl) into the two-cell stage nuclei of wild-type mouse embryos led to cell cycle progression failure, termination of cell division, and, eventually, embryonic death during the preimplantation stage. Morphological studies of the embryos 54 h after injection showed fragmentation of mitotic chromosomes and chromosomal lagging, hallmarks of mitotic catastrophe. The siRNA-L2dtl-treated embryos eventually lysed and failed to develop into blastocysts after 72 h of in vitro culturing. However, the embryos developed normally after they were microinjected into one nucleus of the two-celled embryos. The siRNA studies in HeLa cells showed that L2dtl protein depletion results in multinucleation and down-regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and PTTG1/securin, which might partially explain the mitotic catastrophe observed in L2dtl-depleted mouse embryos. Based on these findings, we conclude that L2dtl gene expression is essential for very early mouse embryonic development.     

Maintenance of sister chromatid attachment in mouse eggs through maturation-promoting factor activity

Mammalian eggs naturally arrest at metaphase of the second meiotic division, until sperm triggers a series of Ca(2+) spikes that result in activation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C). APC/C activation at metaphase targets destruction-box containing substrates, such as cyclin B1 and securin, for degradation, and as such eggs complete the second meiotic division. Cyclin B1 degradation reduces maturation (M-phase)-promoting factor (MPF) activity and securin degradation allows sister chromatid separation. Here we examined the second meiotic division in mouse eggs following expression of a cyclin B1 construct with an N-terminal 90 amino acid deletion (Delta 90 cyclin B1) that was visualized by coupling to EGFP. This cyclin construct was not an APC/C substrate, and so following fertilization, sperm were incapable of stimulating Delta 90 cyclin B1 degradation. In these eggs, chromatin remained condensed and no pronuclei formed. As a consequence of the lack of pronucleus formation, sperm-triggered Ca(2+) spiking continued indefinitely, consistent with a current model in which the sperm-activating factor is localized to the nucleus. Because Ca(2+) spiking was not inhibited by Delta 90 cyclin B1, the degradation timing of securin, visualized by coupling it to EGFP, was unaffected. However, despite rapid securin degradation, sister chromatids remained attached. This was a direct consequence of MPF activity because separation was induced following application of the MPF inhibitor roscovitine. Similar observations regarding the ability of MPF to prevent sister chromatid separation have recently been made in Xenopus egg extracts and in HeLa cells. The results presented here show this mechanism can also occur in intact mammalian eggs and further that this mechanism appears conserved among vertebrates. We present a model in which metaphase II arrest is maintained primarily by MPF levels only.     

Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3beta) negatively regulates PTTG1/human securin protein stability, and GSK3beta inactivation correlates with securin accumulation in breast tumors

PTTG1, also known as securin, is an inactivating partner of separase, the major effector for chromosome segregation during mitosis. At the metaphase-to-anaphase transition, securin is targeted for proteasomal destruction by the anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome, allowing activation of separase. In addition, securin is overexpressed in metastatic or genomically instable tumors, suggesting a relevant role for securin in tumor progression. Stability of securin is regulated by phosphorylation; some phosphorylated forms are degraded out of mitosis, by the action of the SKP1-CUL1-F-box protein (SCF) complex. The kinases targeting securin for proteolysis have not been identified, and mechanistic insight into the cause of securin accumulation in human cancers is lacking. Here, we demonstrate that glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) phosphorylates securin to promote its proteolysis via SCF(βTrCP) E3 ubiquitin ligase. Importantly, a strong correlation between securin accumulation and GSK3β inactivation was observed in breast cancer tissues, indicating that GSK3β inactivation may account for securin accumulation in breast cancers.     

Phosphorylation of the cohesin subunit Scc1 by Polo/Cdc5 kinase regulates sister chromatid separation in yeast

At the onset of anaphase, a caspase-related protease (separase) destroys the link between sister chromatids by cleaving the cohesin subunit Scc1. During most of the cell cycle, separase is kept inactive by binding to an inhibitory protein called securin. Separase activation requires proteolysis of securin, which is mediated by an ubiquitin protein ligase called the anaphase-promoting complex. Cells regulate anaphase entry by delaying securin ubiquitination until all chromosomes have attached to the mitotic spindle. Though no longer regulated by this mitotic surveillance mechanism, sister separation remains tightly cell cycle regulated in yeast mutants lacking securin. We show here that the Polo/Cdc5 kinase phosphorylates serine residues adjacent to Scc1 cleavage sites and strongly enhances their cleavage. Phosphorylation of separase recognition sites may be highly conserved and regulates sister chromatid separation independently of securin.     

Early involvement of estrogen-induced pituitary tumor transforming gene and fibroblast growth factor expression in prolactinoma pathogenesis.

Pituitary tumors are commonly encountered, and result from clonal expansion of a single mutated cell. Hypothalamic hormones, local growth factors and circulating sex steroid hormones promote pituitary tumor growth and expansion into large invasive tumors. Estrogen acting directly through its receptor and by stimulation of fibroblast growth factor regulates prolactin synthesis and secretion. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (bFGF) modulates angiogenesis, tumor formation and progression in many tissues, including the anterior pituitary. A pituitary tumor-derived transforming gene (PTTG) has been isolated, which is tumorigenic in vivo, regulates bFGF secretion, and inhibits chromatid separation. The human PTTG family consists of at least three homologous genes, of which PTTG1 is located on chromosome 5q33 and is expressed at low levels in most normal human tissues but is highly expressed in malignant human cell lines and in pituitary tumors. We report here that pituitary pttg is regulated in vivo and in vitro by estrogen. Maximal induction of rat pituitary pttg mRNA in vivo occurred early in pituitary transformation (normal cell to hypertrophic/hyperplastic cell), coincident with bFGF and vascular endothelial growth factor induction and pituitary angiogenesis. We also demonstrate that pttg expression is induced by bFGF, and show concordant pttg and bFGF expression in experimental and human pituitary adenomas. As bFGF and estrogen both induce pttg, and pttg expression coincides with the early lactotrophic hyperplastic response, angiogenesis and prolactinoma development, we propose a previously unknown paracrine growth factor-mediated mechanism for pituitary tumor pathogenesis and potentially other estrogen-regulated tumors.     

Human securin proteolysis is controlled by the spindle checkpoint and reveals when the APC/C switches from activation by Cdc20 to Cdh1

Progress through mitosis is controlled by the sequential destruction of key regulators including the mitotic cyclins and securin, an inhibitor of anaphase whose destruction is required for sister chromatid separation. Here we have used live cell imaging to determine the exact time when human securin is degraded in mitosis. We show that the timing of securin destruction is set by the spindle checkpoint; securin destruction begins at metaphase once the checkpoint is satisfied. Furthermore, reimposing the checkpoint rapidly inactivates securin destruction. Thus, securin and cyclin B1 destruction have very similar properties. Moreover, we find that both cyclin B1 and securin have to be degraded before sister chromatids can separate. A mutant form of securin that lacks its destruction box (D-box) is still degraded in mitosis, but now this is in anaphase. This destruction requires a KEN box in the NH2 terminus of securin and may indicate the time in mitosis when ubiquitination switches from APCCdc20 to APCCdh1. Lastly, a D-box mutant of securin that cannot be degraded in metaphase inhibits sister chromatid separation, generating a cut phenotype where one cell can inherit both copies of the genome. Thus, defects in securin destruction alter chromosome segregation and may be relevant to the development of aneuploidy in cancer.     

Securin and separase modulate membrane traffic by affecting endosomal acidification

Securin and separase play a key role in sister chromatid separation during anaphase. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that in addition to regulating chromosome segregation, securin and separase display functions implicated in membrane traffic in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila. Here we show that in mammalian cells both securin and separase associate with membranes and that depletion of either protein causes robust swelling of the trans-Golgi network (TGN) along with the appearance of large endocytic vesicles in the perinuclear region. These changes are accompanied by diminished constitutive protein secretion as well as impaired receptor recycling and degradation. Unexpectedly, cells depleted of securin or separase display defective acidification of early endosomes and increased membrane recruitment of vacuolar (V-) ATPase complexes, mimicking the effect of the specific V-ATPase inhibitor Bafilomycin A1. Taken together, our findings identify a new functional role of securin and separase in the modulation of membrane traffic and protein secretion that implicates regulation of V-ATPase assembly and function.     

Phosphorylation of histone H3 serine 10 in early mouse embryos: Active phosphorylation at late S phase and differential effects of ZM447439 on first two embryonic mitoses

Cell division in mammalian cells is regulated by Aurora kinases. The activity of Aurora A is indispensable for correct function of centrosomes and proper spindle formation, while Aurora B for chromosome biorientation and separation. Aurora B is also responsible for the phosphorylation of histone H3 serine 10 (H3S10Ph) from G2 to metaphase. Data concerning the Aurora B activity and H3S10Ph in embryonic cells are limited to primordial and maturing oocytes and advanced pronuclei in zygotes. In the present study we have analyzed H3S10Ph in 1- and 2-cell mouse embryos. We show that H3S10 remains phosphorylated at anaphase and telophase of the second meiotic division, as well as during the anaphase and telophase of the first and second embryonic mitoses. At late G1 H3S10 is dephosphorylated and subsequently phosphorylated de novo at late S phase of the first and second cell cycle. These results show that the H3S10 phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cycle in embryonic cells is different than in somatic cells. The behaviour of thymocyte G0 nuclei introduced into ovulated oocytes and early 1-cell parthenogenotes confirms that kinases responsible for de novo H3S10 phosphorylation, most probably Aurora B, are active until G1 of the first cell cycle of mouse embryo. The inhibition of Aurora kinases by ZM447439 caused abnormalities both in the first and second mitoses. However, the disturbances in each division differed, suggesting important differences in the control of these mitoses. In ZM447439-treated mitotic zygotes Mad2 protein remained continuously present on kinetochores, what confirmed that spindle checkpoint remained active.     

垂体瘤转化基因1研究进展

垂雄瘤转化基因1（PTTG1）,也被称为分离酶抑制蛋白基因,是近几年从大鼠垂体肿瘤中发现的癌基因。它不但可以与分离酶结合,使分离酶失活,从而抑制姐妹染色单体的分离,还具有转录激活活性。已有的染色质免疫共沉淀结合芯片数据显示,PTTG1不仅可以直接调控基因的转录,也可以与其他蛋白,如PTTG1结合因子（PBF）、p53、Spl、上游刺激因子1（USF1）等相互作用来调控下游基因的转录。在NIH3T3细胞中,PTTG1激活c-Mvc的转录,增强NIH3T3细胞在裸鼠体内的成瘤能力。PTTG1也能激活肿瘤细胞中成纤维细胞生长因子2（FGF2）的转录,从而促进肿瘤血管生成。PTTG1结合p53、抑制p21表达、激活周期蛋白D3的能力,提示它在凋亡、细胞周期和衰老方面廿．发挥作用。另外,PTTG1在肿瘤转移和肝癌的发生发展中也发挥着重要作用。我们简要综述了PTTG1的靶基因,及其在肝癌及肿瘤转祷中的研究进展。     

Proliferative potential after DNA damage and non-homologous end joining are affected by loss of securin

The faithful repair of DNA damage, especially chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs), is crucial for genomic integrity. We have previously shown that securin interacts with the Ku70/80 heterodimer of the DSB non-homologous DNA end-joining (NHEJ) repair machinery. Here we demonstrate that securin deficiency compromises cell survival and proliferation, but only after genotoxic stress. Securin(-/-) cells show a significant increase in gross chromosomal rearrangements and chromatid breaks after DNA damage, and also reveal an altered pattern of end resection in an NHEJ assay in comparison with securin(+/+) cells. These data suggest that securin has a key role in the maintenance of genomic stability after DNA damage, thereby providing a previously unknown mechanism for regulating tumour progression.     

Glypican-1 regulates anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome substrates and cell cycle progression in endothelial cells

Glypican-1 (GPC1), a member of the mammalian glypican family of heparan sulfate proteoglycans, is highly expressed in glioma blood vessel endothelial cells (ECs). In this study, we investigated the role of GPC1 in EC replication by manipulating GPC1 expression in cultured mouse brain ECs. Moderate GPC1 overexpression stimulates EC growth, but proliferation is significantly suppressed when GPC1 expression is either knocked down or the molecule is highly overexpressed. Flow cytometric and biochemical analyses show that high or low expression of GPC1 causes cell cycle arrest at mitosis or the G2 phase of the cell cycle, accompanied by endoreduplication and consequently polyploidization. We further show that GPC1 inhibits the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)-mediated degradation of mitotic cyclins and securin. High levels of GPC1 induce metaphase arrest and centrosome overproduction, alterations that are mimicked by overexpression of cyclin B1 and cyclin A, respectively. These observations suggest that GPC1 regulates EC cell cycle progression at least partially by modulating APC/C-mediated degradation of mitotic cyclins and securin.     

The selective continued linkage of centromeres from mitosis to interphase in the absence of mammalian separase

Separase is an evolutionarily conserved protease that is essential for chromosome segregation and cleaves cohesin Scc1/Rad21, which joins the sister chromatids together. Although mammalian separase also functions in chromosome segregation, our understanding of this process in mammals is still incomplete. We generated separase knockout mice, reporting an essential function for mammalian separase. Separase-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts exhibited severely restrained increases in cell number, polyploid chromosomes, and amplified centrosomes. Chromosome spreads demonstrated that multiple chromosomes connected to a centromeric region. Live observation demonstrated that the chromosomes of separase-deficient cells condensed, but failed to segregate, although subsequent cytokinesis and chromosome decondensation proceeded normally. These results establish that mammalian separase is essential for the separation of centromeres, but not of the arm regions of chromosomes. Other cell cycle events, such as mitotic exit, DNA replication, and centrosome duplication appear to occur normally. We also demonstrated that heterozygous separase-deficient cells exhibited severely restrained increases in cell number with apparently normal mitosis in the absence of securin, which is an inhibitory partner of separase.