Chromosome separation during the cell-cycle transition from metaphase to anaphase requires the proteolytic destruction of anaphase inhibitors such as Pds1 [1-3]. Proteolysis of Pds1 is mediated by a ubiquitin-protein ligase, the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) or cyclosome [4,5]. The APC is also necessary for the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of mitotic cyclins in late telophase as cells exit mitosis [6-9]. Although phosphorylation seems to be involved [10], it is not clear what activates the APC at the onset of anaphase. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, chromosome segregation also requires the CDC20 gene, whose product contains WD40 repeats [11,12]. We have investigated the functional relationship between the APC and the Cdc20 protein. We present evidence that strongly suggests that Cdc20 is an essential regulator of APC-dependent proteolysis such that in the absence of Cdc20, cells are unable to degrade either Pds1 at the onset of anaphase or the mitotic cyclin Clb2 during telophase. This notion is consistent with our observations that Cdc20 is localized in the nucleus and co-immunoprecipitates with an APC component, Cdc23.
Maintaining genome integrity requires the accurate and complete replication of chromosomal DNA. This is of the utmost importance for embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which differentiate into cells of all lineages, including germ cells. However, endogenous and exogenous factors frequently induce stalling of replication forks in every cell cycle, which can trigger mutations and chromosomal instabilities. We show here that the oncofetal, nonhistone chromatin factor HMGA2 equips cells with a highly effective first-line defense mechanism against endonucleolytic collapse of stalled forks. This fork-stabilizing function most likely employs scaffold formation at branched DNA via multiple DNA-binding domains. Moreover, HMGA2 works independently of other human factors in two heterologous cell systems to prevent DNA strand breaks. This fork chaperone function seemingly evolved to preserve ESC genome integrity. It is hijacked by tumor (stem) cells to also guard their genomes against DNA-damaging agents widely used to treat cancer patients.
In eukaryotes, mitosis requires the activation of cdc2 kinase via association with cyclin B and dephosphorylation of the threonine 14 and tyrosine 15 residues. It is known that in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a homologous kinase, Cdc28, mediates the progression through M phase, but it is not clear what specific mitotic function its activation by the dephosphorylation of an equivalent tyrosine (Tyr-19) serves. We report here that cells expressing cdc28-E19 (in which Tyr-19 is replaced by glutamic acid) perform Start-related functions, complete DNA synthesis, and exhibit high levels of Clb2-associated kinase activity but are unable to form bipolar spindles. The failure of these cells to form mitotic spindles is due to their inability to segregate duplicated spindle pole bodies (SPBs), a phenotype strikingly similar to that exhibited by a previously reported mutant defective in both kinesin-like motor proteins Cin8 and Kip1. We also find that the overexpression of SWE1, the budding-yeast homolog of wee1, also leads to a failure to segregate SPBs. These results imply that dephosphorylation of Tyr-19 is required for the segregation of SPBs. The requirement of Tyr-19 dephosphorylation for spindle assembly is also observed under conditions in which spindle formation is independent of mitosis, suggesting that the involvement of Cdc28/Clb kinase in SPB separation is direct. On the basis of these results, we propose that one of the roles of Tyr-19 dephosphorylation is to promote SPB separation.
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