Kin4 kinase delays mitotic exit in response to spindle alignment defects

For many polarized cells, it is critical that the mitotic spindle becomes positioned relative to the polarity axis. This is especially important in yeast, where the site of cytokinesis is predetermined. The spindle position checkpoint (SPOC) therefore delays mitotic exit of cells with a mispositioned spindle. One component of the SPOC is the Bub2-Bfa1 complex, an inhibitor of the mitotic exit network (MEN). Here, we show that the Kin4 kinase is a component of the SPOC and as such is essential to delay cell cycle progression of cells with a misaligned spindle. When spindles are correctly oriented, Kin4 and Bub2-Bfa1 are asymmetrically localized to opposite spindle pole bodies (SPBs). Bub2-Bfa1 then becomes inhibited by Cdc5 polo kinase with anaphase onset, a prerequisite for mitotic exit. In response to spindle misalignment, Kin4 and Bub2-Bfa1 are brought together at both SPBs. Kin4 now maintains Bub2-Bfa1 activity by counteracting Cdc5, thereby inhibiting mitotic exit.     

SPOC alert--when chromosomes get the wrong direction

The asymmetrically dividing budding yeast relies upon the alignment of the mitotic spindle along the mother to daughter cell polarity axis for the fidelity of chromosome segregation during mitosis. In the case of spindle misalignment, a surveillance mechanism named the spindle position checkpoint (SPOC) prevents cells from exiting mitosis through the inhibition of the mitotic exit network (MEN). MEN is a signal transduction pathway that mediates mitotic exit through fully activation of the Cdk-counteracting phosphatase Cdc14. In this mini-review, we briefly describe the mechanisms leading to mitotic exit in budding yeast cells focusing on the control of MEN by the SPOC. In addition, we summarize the recent advances in the molecular understanding of SPOC regulation and discuss whether similar checkpoints may exist in higher eukaryotic cells that undergo asymmetric divisions.     

The yeast centrosome translates the positional information of the anaphase spindle into a cell cycle signal

The spindle orientation checkpoint (SPOC) of budding yeast delays mitotic exit when cytoplasmic microtubules (MTs) are defective, causing the spindle to become misaligned. Delay is achieved by maintaining the activity of the Bfa1-Bub2 guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein complex, an inhibitor of mitotic exit. In this study, we show that the spindle pole body (SPB) component Spc72, a transforming acidic coiled coil-like molecule that interacts with the gamma-tubulin complex, recruits Kin4 kinase to both SPBs when cytoplasmic MTs are defective. This allows Kin4 to phosphorylate the SPB-associated Bfa1, rendering it resistant to inactivation by Cdc5 polo kinase. Consistently, forced targeting of Kin4 to both SPBs delays mitotic exit even when the anaphase spindle is correctly aligned. Moreover, we present evidence that Spc72 has an additional function in SPOC regulation that is independent of the recruitment of Kin4. Thus, Spc72 provides a missing link between cytoplasmic MT function and components of the SPOC.     

The stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascade promotes exit from mitosis

In budding yeast, a signaling network known as the mitotic exit network (MEN) triggers exit from mitosis. We find that hypertonic stress allows MEN mutants to exit from mitosis in a manner dependent on the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade. The HOG pathway drives exit from mitosis in MEN mutants by promoting the activation of the MEN effector, the protein phosphatase Cdc14. Activation of Cdc14 depends on the Cdc14 early anaphase release network, a group of proteins that functions in parallel to the MEN to promote Cdc14 function. Notably, exit from mitosis is promoted by the signaling branch defined by the Sho1 osmosensing system, but not by the Sln1 osmosensor of the HOG pathway. Our results suggest that the stress MAP kinase pathway mobilizes programs to promote completion of the cell cycle and entry into G1 under unfavorable conditions.     

The cortical protein Lte1 promotes mitotic exit by inhibiting the spindle position checkpoint kinase Kin4

The spindle position checkpoint (SPOC) is an essential surveillance mechanism that allows mitotic exit only when the spindle is correctly oriented along the cell axis. Key SPOC components are the kinase Kin4 and the Bub2-Bfa1 GAP complex that inhibit the mitotic exit-promoting GTPase Tem1. During an unperturbed cell cycle, Kin4 associates with the mother spindle pole body (mSPB), whereas Bub2-Bfa1 is at the daughter SPB (dSPB). When the spindle is mispositioned, Bub2-Bfa1 and Kin4 bind to both SPBs, which enables Kin4 to phosphorylate Bfa1 and thereby block mitotic exit. Here, we show that the daughter cell protein Lte1 physically interacts with Kin4 and inhibits Kin4 kinase activity. Specifically, Lte1 binds to catalytically active Kin4 and promotes Kin4 hyperphosphorylation, which restricts Kin4 binding to the mSPB. This Lte1-mediated exclusion of Kin4 from the dSPB is essential for proper mitotic exit of cells with a correctly aligned spindle. Therefore, Lte1 promotes mitotic exit by inhibiting Kin4 activity at the dSPB.     

The protein kinase Kin4 inhibits exit from mitosis in response to spindle position defects

Accurate nuclear position is essential for each daughter cell to receive one DNA complement. In budding yeast, a surveillance mechanism known as the spindle position checkpoint ensures that exit from mitosis only occurs when the anaphase nucleus is positioned along the mother-bud axis. We identified the protein kinase Kin4 as a component of the spindle position checkpoint. KIN4 prevents exit from mitosis in cells with mispositioned nuclei by inhibiting the mitotic exit network (MEN), a GTPase signaling cascade that promotes exit from mitosis. Kin4 is active in cells with mispositioned nuclei and predominantly localizes to mother cells, where it is ideally situated to inhibit MEN signaling at spindle pole bodies (SPBs) when anaphase spindle elongation occurs within the mother cell.     

Asymmetry of the Budding Yeast Tem1 GTPase at Spindle Poles Is Required for Spindle Positioning But Not for Mitotic Exit

The asymmetrically dividing yeast S. cerevisiae assembles a bipolar spindle well after establishing the future site of cell division (i.e., the bud neck) and the division axis (i.e., the mother-bud axis). A surveillance mechanism called spindle position checkpoint (SPOC) delays mitotic exit and cytokinesis until the spindle is properly positioned relative to the mother-bud axis, thereby ensuring the correct ploidy of the progeny. SPOC relies on the heterodimeric GTPase-activating protein Bub2/Bfa1 that inhibits the small GTPase Tem1, in turn essential for activating the mitotic exit network (MEN) kinase cascade and cytokinesis. The Bub2/Bfa1 GAP and the Tem1 GTPase form a complex at spindle poles that undergoes a remarkable asymmetry during mitosis when the spindle is properly positioned, with the complex accumulating on the bud-directed old spindle pole. In contrast, the complex remains symmetrically localized on both poles of misaligned spindles. The mechanism driving asymmetry of Bub2/Bfa1/Tem1 in mitosis is unclear. Furthermore, whether asymmetry is involved in timely mitotic exit is controversial. We investigated the mechanism by which the GAP Bub2/Bfa1 controls GTP hydrolysis on Tem1 and generated a series of mutants leading to constitutive Tem1 activation. These mutants are SPOC-defective and invariably lead to symmetrical localization of Bub2/Bfa1/Tem1 at spindle poles, indicating that GTP hydrolysis is essential for asymmetry. Constitutive tethering of Bub2 or Bfa1 to both spindle poles impairs SPOC response but does not impair mitotic exit. Rather, it facilitates mitotic exit of MEN mutants, likely by increasing the residence time of Tem1 at spindle poles where it gets active. Surprisingly, all mutant or chimeric proteins leading to symmetrical localization of Bub2/Bfa1/Tem1 lead to increased symmetry at spindle poles of the Kar9 protein that mediates spindle positioning and cause spindle misalignment. Thus, asymmetry of the Bub2/Bfa1/Tem1 complex is crucial to control Kar9 distribution and spindle positioning during mitosis.     

Cdc7p-Dbf4p Regulates Mitotic Exit by Inhibiting Polo Kinase

Cdc7p-Dbf4p is a conserved protein kinase required for the initiation of DNA replication. The Dbf4p regulatory subunit binds Cdc7p and is essential for Cdc7p kinase activation, however, the N-terminal third of Dbf4p is dispensable for its essential replication activities. Here, we define a short N-terminal Dbf4p region that targets Cdc7p-Dbf4p kinase to Cdc5p, the single Polo kinase in budding yeast that regulates mitotic progression and cytokinesis. Dbf4p mediates an interaction with the Polo substrate-binding domain to inhibit its essential role during mitosis. Although Dbf4p does not inhibit Polo kinase activity, it nonetheless inhibits Polo-mediated activation of the mitotic exit network (MEN), presumably by altering Polo substrate targeting. In addition, although dbf4 mutants defective for interaction with Polo transit S-phase normally, they aberrantly segregate chromosomes following nuclear misorientation. Therefore, Cdc7p-Dbf4p prevents inappropriate exit from mitosis by inhibiting Polo kinase and functions in the spindle position checkpoint.     

Mitotic exit regulation through distinct domains within the protein kinase Cdc15

The mitotic exit network (MEN), a Ras-like signaling cascade, promotes the release of the protein phosphatase Cdc14 from the nucleolus and is essential for cells to exit from mitosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have characterized the functional domains of one of the MEN components, the protein kinase Cdc15, and investigated the role of these domains in mitotic exit. We show that a region adjacent to Cdc15's kinase domain is required for self-association and for binding to spindle pole bodies and that this domain is essential for CDC15 function. Furthermore, we find that overexpression of CDC15 lacking the C-terminal 224 amino acids results in hyperactivation of MEN and premature release of Cdc14 from the nucleolus, suggesting that this domain within Cdc15 functions to inhibit MEN signaling. Our findings indicate that multiple modes of MEN regulation occur through the protein kinase Cdc15.     

Mitotic exit control: a space and time odyssey

The mitotic exit network (MEN), a protein kinase cascade under the switch-like control of the small GTPase Tem1, triggers exit from mitosis in budding yeast. Now it emerges that signals from both Tem1 and the yeast Polo kinase Cdc5 converge onto the MEN kinase Cdc15 to accurately restrict MEN activation to late mitosis.     

Tem1 localization to the spindle pole bodies is essential for mitotic exit and impairs spindle checkpoint function

The mitotic exit network (MEN) is a signaling cascade that triggers inactivation of the mitotic cyclin-dependent kinases and exit from mitosis. The GTPase Tem1 localizes on the spindle pole bodies (SPBs) and initiates MEN signaling. Tem1 activity is inhibited until anaphase by Bfa1-Bub2. These proteins are also part of the spindle position checkpoint (SPOC), a surveillance mechanism that restrains mitotic exit until the spindle is correctly positioned. Here, we show that regulation of Tem1 localization is essential for the proper function of the MEN and the SPOC. We demonstrate that the dynamics of Tem1 loading onto SPBs determine the recruitment of other MEN components to this structure, and reevaluate the interdependence in the localization of Tem1, Bfa1, and Bub2. We also find that removal of Tem1 from the SPBs is critical for the SPOC to impede cell cycle progression. Finally, we demonstrate for the first time that localization of Tem1 to the SPBs is a requirement for mitotic exit.     

In vitro regulation of budding yeast Bfa1/Bub2 GAP activity by Cdc5

The Cdc5 protein of budding yeast is a polo-like kinase that has multiple roles in mitosis including control of the mitotic exit network (MEN). MEN activity brings about loss of mitotic kinase activity so that the mitotic spindle is disassembled and cytokinesis can proceed. Activity of the MEN is regulated by a small GTPase, Tem1, which in turn is controlled by a two-component GTPase-activating protein (GAP) formed by Bfa1 and Bub2. Bfa1 has been identified as a regulatory target of Cdc5 but there are conflicting deductions from indirect in vivo assays as to whether phosphorylation inhibits or stimulates Bfa1 activity. To resolve this question, we have used direct in vitro assays to observe the effects of phosphorylation on Bfa1 activity. We show that when Bfa1 is phosphorylated by Cdc5, its GAP activity with Bub2 is inhibited although its ability to interact with Tem1 is unaffected. Thus, in vivo inactivation of Bfa1-Bub2 by Cdc5 would have a positive regulatory effect by increasing levels of Tem1-GTP so stimulating exit from mitosis.     

A role for cell polarity proteins in mitotic exit

The budding yeast mitotic exit network (MEN) is a signal transduction cascade that controls exit from mitosis by facilitating the release of the cell cycle phosphatase Cdc14 from the nucleolus. The G protein Tem1 regulates MEN activity. The Tem1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Lte1 associates with the cortex of the bud and activates the MEN upon the formation of an anaphase spindle. Thus, the cell cortex has an important but ill-defined role in MEN regulation. Here, we describe a network of conserved cortical cell polarity proteins that have key roles in mitotic exit. The Rho-like GTPase Cdc42, its GEF Cdc24 and its effector Cla4 [a member of the p21-activated kinases (PAKs)] control the initial binding and activation of Lte1 to the bud cortex. Moreover, Cdc24, Cdc42 and Ste20, another PAK, probably function parallel to Lte1 in facilitating mitotic exit. Finally, the cell polarity proteins Kel1 and Kel2 are present in complexes with both Lte1 and Tem1, and negatively regulate mitotic exit.     

Mutual regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase and the mitotic exit network

The mitotic exit network (MEN) is a spindle pole body (SPB)–associated, GTPase-driven signaling cascade that controls mitotic exit. The inhibitory Bfa1–Bub2 GTPase-activating protein (GAP) only associates with the daughter SPB (dSPB), raising the question as to how the MEN is regulated on the mother SPB (mSPB). Here, we show mutual regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) and the MEN. In early anaphase Cdk1 becomes recruited to the mSPB depending on the activity of the MEN kinase Cdc15. Conversely, Cdk1 negatively regulates binding of Cdc15 to the mSPB. In addition, Cdk1 phosphorylates the Mob1 protein to inhibit the activity of Dbf2–Mob1 kinase that regulates Cdc14 phosphatase. Our data revise the understanding of the spatial regulation of the MEN. Although MEN activity in the daughter cells is controlled by Bfa1–Bub2, Cdk1 inhibits MEN activity at the mSPB. Consistent with this model, only triple mutants that lack BUB2 and the Cdk1 phosphorylation sites in Mob1 and Cdc15 show mitotic exit defects.     

Inactivation of mitotic kinase triggers translocation of MEN components to mother-daughter neck in yeast

Chromosome segregation, mitotic exit, and cytokinesis are executed in this order during mitosis. Although a scheme coordinating sister chromatid separation and initiation of mitotic exit has been proposed, the mechanism that temporally links the onset of cytokinesis to mitotic exit is not known. Exit from mitosis is regulated by the mitotic exit network (MEN), which includes a GTPase (Tem1) and various kinases (Cdc15, Cdc5, Dbf2, and Dbf20). Here, we show that Dbf2 and Dbf20 functions are necessary for the execution of cytokinesis. Relocalization of these proteins from spindle pole bodies to mother daughter neck seems to be necessary for this role because cdc15-2 mutant cells, though capable of exiting mitosis at semipermissive temperature, are unable to localize Dbf2 (and Dbf20) to the "neck" and fail to undergo cytokinesis. These cells can assemble and constrict the actomyosin ring normally but are incapable of forming a septum, suggesting that MEN components are critical for the initiation of septum formation. Interestingly, the spindle pole body to neck translocation of Dbf2 and Dbf20 is triggered by the inactivation of mitotic kinase. The requirement of kinase inactivation for translocation of MEN components to the division site thus provides a mechanism that renders mitotic exit a prerequisite for cytokinesis.     

Exit from exit: resetting the cell cycle through Amn1 inhibition of G protein signaling

In S. cerevisiae cells undergoing anaphase, a ras-related GTPase, Tem1, is located on the spindle pole body that enters the daughter cell and activates a signal transduction pathway, MEN, to allow mitotic exit. MEN activation must be reversed after mitotic exit to reset the cell cycle in G1. We find that daughter cells activate an Antagonist of MEN pathway (AMEN) in part through induction of the Amn1 protein that binds directly to Tem1 and prevents its association with its target kinase Cdc15. Failure of Amn1 function results in defects of both the spindle assembly and nuclear orientation checkpoints and delays turning off Cdc14 in G1. Thus, Amn1 is part of a daughter-specific switch that helps cells exit from mitotic exit and reset the cell cycle.     

Fission yeast Clp1p phosphatase regulates G2/M transition and coordination of cytokinesis with cell cycle progression.

Background: In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the mitotic-exit network (MEN) functions in anaphase to promote the release of the Cdc14p phosphatase from the nucleolus. This release causes mitotic exit via inactivation of the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk). Cdc14p-like proteins are highly conserved; however, it is unclear if these proteins regulate mitotic exit as in S. cerevisiae. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe a signaling pathway homologous to the MEN and termed the septation initiation network (SIN) is required not for mitotic exit, but for initiation of cytokinesis and for a cytokinesis checkpoint that inhibits further cell cycle progression until cytokinesis is complete.Results: We have identified the S. pombe Cdc14p homolog, Clp1p, and show that it is not required for mitotic exit but rather functions together with the SIN in coordinating cytokinesis with the nuclear-division cycle. As cells enter mitosis, Clp1p relocalizes from the nucleolus to the spindle and site of cell division. Clp1p exit from the nucleolus does not depend on the SIN, but the SIN is required for keeping Clp1p out of the nucleolus until completion of cytokinesis. Clp1p, in turn, may promote the activation of the SIN by antagonizing Cdk activity until cytokinesis is complete and thus ensuring that cytokinesis is completed prior to the initiation of the next cell cycle. In addition to its roles in anaphase, Clp1p regulates the G2/M transition since cells deleted for clp1 enter mitosis precociously and cells overexpressing Clp1p delay mitotic entry. Unlike Cdc14p, Clp1p appears to antagonize Cdk activity by preventing dephosphorylation of Cdc2p on tyrosine.Conclusions: S. pombe Clp1p affects cell cycle progression in a markedly different manner than its S. cerevisiae homolog, Cdc14p. This finding raises the possibility that related phosphatases in animal cells will prove to have important roles in coordinating the onset of cytokinesis with the events of mitosis.     

Elm1 kinase activates the spindle position checkpoint kinase Kin4

Budding yeast asymmetric cell division relies upon the precise coordination of spindle orientation and cell cycle progression. The spindle position checkpoint (SPOC) is a surveillance mechanism that prevents cells with misoriented spindles from exiting mitosis. The cortical kinase Kin4 acts near the top of this network. How Kin4 kinase activity is regulated and maintained in respect to spindle positional cues remains to be established. Here, we show that the bud neck–associated kinase Elm1 participates in Kin4 activation and SPOC signaling by phosphorylating a conserved residue within the activation loop of Kin4. Blocking Elm1 function abolishes Kin4 kinase activity in vivo and eliminates the SPOC response to spindle misalignment. These findings establish a novel function for Elm1 in the coordination of spindle positioning with cell cycle progression via its control of Kin4.     

Order of function of the budding-yeast mitotic exit-network proteins Tem1, Cdc15, Mob1, Dbf2, and Cdc5

The Dbf2 protein kinase functions as part of the mitotic-exit network (MEN), which controls the inactivation of the Cdc28-Clb2 kinase in late mitosis [1]. The MEN includes the Tem1 GTP binding protein; the kinases Cdc15 and Cdc5; Mob1, a protein of unknown function; and the phosphatase Cdc14 [2]. Here we have used Dbf2 kinase activity to investigate the regulation and order of function of the MEN. We find that Tem1 acts at the top of the pathway, upstream of Cdc15, which in turn functions upstream of Mob1 and Dbf2. The Cdc5 Polo-like kinase impinges at least twice on the MEN since it negatively regulates the network, probably upstream of Tem1, and is also required again for Dbf2 kinase activation. Furthermore, we find that regulation of Dbf2 kinase activity and actin ring formation at the bud neck are causally linked. In metaphase-arrested cells, the MEN inhibitor Bub2 restrains both Dbf2 kinase activity [3] and actin ring formation [4]. We find that the MEN proteins that are required for Dbf2 kinase activity are also required for actin ring formation. Thus, the MEN is crucial for the regulation of cytokinesis, as well as mitotic exit.     

DNA damage checkpoints inhibit mitotic exit by two different mechanisms

Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) governs cell cycle progression, and its kinase activity fluctuates during the cell cycle. Mitotic exit pathways are responsible for the inactivation of CDK after chromosome segregation by promoting the release of a nucleolus-sequestered phosphatase, Cdc14, which antagonizes CDK. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mitotic exit is controlled by the FEAR (for "Cdc-fourteen early anaphase release") and mitotic exit network (MEN) pathways. In response to DNA damage, two branches of the DNA damage checkpoint, Chk1 and Rad53, are activated in budding yeast to prevent anaphase entry and mitotic exit, allowing cells more time to repair damaged DNA. Here we present evidence indicating that yeast cells negatively regulate mitotic exit through two distinct pathways in response to DNA damage. Rad53 prevents mitotic exit by inhibiting the MEN pathway, whereas the Chk1 pathway prevents FEAR pathway-dependent Cdc14 release in the presence of DNA damage. In contrast to previous data, the Rad53 pathway negatively regulates MEN independently of Cdc5, a Polo-like kinase essential for mitotic exit. Instead, a defective Rad53 pathway alleviates the inhibition of MEN by Bfa1.