Selective Nuclear Pore Complex Removal Drives Nuclear Envelope Division in Fission Yeast

• Published in: Current biology Vol. 30; no. 16; pp. 3212 - 3222.e2
• Main Authors: Expósito-Serrano, María, Sánchez-Molina, Ana, Gallardo, Paola, Salas-Pino, Silvia, Daga, Rafael R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 17-08-2020
• Subjects: central spindle; endomembrane sorting; ER tubules; importin α; midzone membrane domain; mitosis; nuclear envelope; nuclear envelope division; nuclear pore complex; midzone membrane domain; ER tubules; nuclear pore complex; nuclear envelope; endomembrane sorting; mitosis; central spindle; importin α; nuclear envelope division
• ISSN: 0960-9822; 1879-0445
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.066

An important question in cell biology is how cellular organelles partition during cell division. In organisms undergoing closed mitosis, the elongation of an intranuclear spindle drives nuclear division, generating two identically sized nuclei [1, 2]. However, how the site of nuclear division is determined and the underlying mechanism driving nuclear envelope (NE) fission remain largely unknown. Here, using the fission yeast, we show that the microtubule bundler Ase1/PRC1 at the spindle midzone is required for the local concentration of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in the region of the NE in contact with the central spindle. As the spindle elongates during anaphase B, components of these NPCs are sequentially eliminated, and this is accompanied by the local remodeling of the NE. These two events lead to the eventual removal of NPCs and nuclear division. In the absence of importin α, NPCs remain stable in this region and no event of NE remodeling is observed. Consequently, cells fail to undergo nuclear division. Thus, our results highlight a new role of the central spindle as a spatial cue that determines the site of nuclear division and point to NPC removal as the triggering event.
•In the fission yeast, the spindle midzone determines the site of nuclear division•Nuclear division requires NPC disassembly and nuclear envelope remodeling•Importin α is required for nuclear division
Exposito-Serrano et al. show that nuclear division in the fission yeast closed mitosis shares similarities with metazoan NEBD. Selective elimination of NPCs and removal of INM proteins from the spindle midzone membrane domain drive nuclear division.