Mid-anaphase arrest in S. cerevisiae cells eliminated for the function of Cin8 and dynein

• Published in: Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS Vol. 66; no. 2; pp. 301 - 313
• Main Authors: Gerson-Gurwitz, A, Movshovich, N, Avunie, R, Fridman, V, Moyal, K, Katz, B, Hoyt, M. A, Gheber, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Basel : Birkhäuser-Verlag 01-01-2009; Birkhäuser-Verlag; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anaphase - physiology; anaphase B; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Biology; Cell division; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Cell Nucleus - ultrastructure; Cin8; dynein; Dyneins - genetics; Dyneins - metabolism; Genotype & phenotype; Indicators and Reagents - metabolism; Kinesins; Life Sciences; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - genetics; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - metabolism; microtubules; Microtubules - metabolism; Mutation; Phenotype; Proteins; Research Article; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - cytology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - physiology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism; sorbitol; Sorbitol - metabolism; Spindle Apparatus - metabolism; Spindle Apparatus - ultrastructure; Yeast; Cin8; dynein; microtubules; anaphase B; sorbitol
• ISSN: 1420-682X; 1420-9071
• DOI: 10.1007/s00018-008-8479-2

S. cerevisiae anaphase spindle elongation is accomplished by the overlapping function of dynein and the kinesin-5 motor proteins, Cin8 and Kip1. Cin8 and dynein are synthetically lethal, yet the arrest phenotypes of cells eliminated for their function had not been identified. We found that at a non-permissive temperature, dyn1Δ cells that carry a temperature-sensitive cin8 - 3 mutation arrest at mid-anaphase with a unique phenotype, which we named TAN (two microtubule asters in one nucleus). These cells enter anaphase, but fail to proceed through the slow phase of anaphase B. At a permissive temperature, dyn1Δ, cin8 - 3 or dyn1Δcin8 - 3 cells exhibit perturbed spindle midzone morphologies, with dyn1Δcin8 - 3 anaphase spindles also being profoundly bent and nonrigid. Sorbitol, which has been suggested to stabilize microtubules, corrects these defects and suppresses the TAN phenotype. We conclude that dynein and Cin8 cooperate in anaphase midzone organization and influence microtubule dynamics, thus enabling progression through the slow phase of anaphase B.