The Dissociation of Cohesin from Chromosomes in Prophase Is Regulated by Polo-like Kinase

• Published in: Molecular cell Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 515 - 525
• Main Authors: Sumara, Izabela, Vorlaufer, Elisabeth, Stukenberg, P.Todd, Kelm, Olaf, Redemann, Norbert, Nigg, Erich A., Peters, Jan-Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-03-2002; Cell Press
• Subjects: Animals; Aurora Kinases; Cell Cycle - physiology; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Cell Fractionation; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; Chromosomes - physiology; cohesin; Cohesins; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Fungal Proteins; HeLa Cells; Humans; Life Sciences; Nuclear Proteins - chemistry; Nuclear Proteins - isolation & purification; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Oocytes - physiology; Phosphorylation; polo-like kinase; Polo-Like Kinase 1; Protein Kinases - metabolism; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Tissue Extracts - chemistry; Tissue Extracts - metabolism; Xenopus; Xenopus laevis; Xenopus Proteins
• ISSN: 1097-2765; 1097-4164
• DOI: 10.1016/S1097-2765(02)00473-2

The separation of sister chromatids in anaphase depends on the dissociation of cohesin from chromosomes. In vertebrates, some cohesin is removed from chromosomes at the onset of anaphase by proteolytic cleavage. In contrast, the bulk of cohesin is removed from chromosomes already in prophase and prometaphase by an unknown mechanism that does not involve cohesin cleavage. We show that Polo-like kinase is required for the cleavage-independent dissociation of cohesin from chromosomes in Xenopus. Cohesin phosphorylation depends on Polo-like kinase and reduces the ability of cohesin to bind to chromatin. These results suggest that Polo-like kinase regulates the dissociation of cohesin from chromosomes early in mitosis.