Dissociation of the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex releases centromeres from the spindle-pole body during meiotic prophase in fission yeast

Mol Biol Cell. 2005 May;16(5):2325-38. doi: 10.1091/mbc.e04-11-0996. Epub 2005 Feb 23.

Abstract

In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, centromeres remain clustered at the spindle-pole body (SPB) during mitotic interphase. In contrast, during meiotic prophase centromeres dissociate from the SPB. Here we examined the behavior of centromere proteins in living meiotic cells of S. pombe. We show that the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex proteins (Nuf2, Ndc80, Spc24, and Spc25) disappear from the centromere in meiotic prophase when the centromeres are separated from the SPB. The centromere protein Mis12 also dissociates during meiotic prophase; however, Mis6 remains throughout meiosis. When cells are induced to meiosis by inactivation of Pat1 kinase (a key negative regulator of meiosis), centromeres remain associated with the SPB during meiotic prophase. However, inactivation of Nuf2 by a mutation causes the release of centromeres from the SPB in pat1 mutant cells, suggesting that the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex connects centromeres to the SPB. We further found that removal of the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex from the centromere and centromere-SPB dissociation are caused by mating pheromone signaling. Because pat1 mutant cells also show aberrant chromosome segregation in the first meiotic division and this aberration is compensated by mating pheromone signaling, dissociation of the Nuf2-Ndc80 complex may be associated with remodeling of the kinetochore for meiotic chromosome segregation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Centromere / metabolism
  • DNA, Fungal / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Genes, Fungal
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Kinetochores / metabolism
  • Meiosis
  • Models, Biological
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Peptides / metabolism
  • Prophase
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Schizosaccharomyces / cytology*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DNA, Fungal
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Mating Factor, S pombe
  • Mis6 protein, S pombe
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • mis12 protein, S pombe
  • nuf2 protein, S pombe
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins