Search

Accurate chromosome segregation depends on proper kinetochore-microtubule attachment. Upon microtubule interaction, kinetochores are subjected to forces generated by the microtubules. In this work, we used laser ablation to sever microtubules attached to a merotelic kinetochore, which is laterally stretched by opposing pulling forces exerted by microtubules, and inferred the mechanical response of the kinetochore from its length change. In both mammalian PtK1 cells and in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, kinetochores shortened after microtubule severing. Interestingly, the inner kinetochore-centromere relaxed faster than the outer kinetochore. Whereas in fission yeast all kinetochores relaxed to a similar length, in PtK1 cells the more stretched kinetochores remained more stretched. Simple models suggest that these differences arise because the mechanical structure of the mammalian kinetochore is more complex. Our study establishes merotelic kinetochores as an experimental model for studying the mechanical response of the kinetochore in live cells and reveals a viscoelastic behavior of the kinetochore that is conserved in yeast and mammalian cells.

This work describes the use of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and a novel amyloid-binding fluorescent probe, ARCAM 1, to monitor the aggregation of the Alzheimer's disease-associated amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). ARCAM 1 exhibits a large increase in fluorescence emission upon binding to Aβ assemblies, making it an excellent candidate for probe enhancement FCS (PE-FCS). ARCAM 1 binding does not change Aβ aggregation kinetics. It also exhibits greater dynamic range as a probe in reporting aggregate size by FCS in Aβ, when compared to thioflavin T (ThT) or an Aβ peptide modified with a fluorophore. Using fluorescent burst analysis (via PE-FCS) to follow aggregation of Aβ, we detected soluble aggregates at significantly earlier time points compared to typical bulk fluorescence measurements. Autocorrelation analysis revealed the size of these early Aβ assemblies. These results indicate that PE-FCS/ARCAM 1 based assays can detect and provide size characterization of small Aβ aggregation intermediates during the assembly process, which could enable monitoring and study of such aggregates that transiently accumulate in biofluids of patients with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Chromosome ends contain nucleoprotein structures known as telomeres. Damage to chromosome ends during interphase elicits a DNA damage response (DDR) resulting in cell cycle arrest. However, little is known regarding the signaling from damaged chromosome ends (designated here as "TIPs") during mitosis. In the present study, we investigated the consequences of DNA damage induced at a single TIP in mitosis. We used laser microirradiation to damage mitotic TIPs or chromosome arms (non-TIPs) in PtK2 kidney epithelial cells. We found that damage to a single TIP, but not a non-TIP, delays anaphase onset. This TIP-specific checkpoint response is accompanied by differential recruitment of DDR proteins. Although phosphorylation of H2AX and the recruitment of several repair factors, such as Ku70-Ku80, occur in a comparable manner at both TIP and non-TIP damage sites, DDR factors such as ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), MDC1, WRN, and FANCD2 are specifically recruited to TIPs but not to non-TIPs. In addition, Nbs1, BRCA1, and ubiquitin accumulate at damaged TIPs more rapidly than at damaged non-TIPs. ATR and 53BP1 are not detected at either TIPs or non-TIPs in mitosis. The observed delay in anaphase onset is dependent on the activity of DDR kinases ATM and Chk1, and the spindle assembly checkpoint kinase Mps1. Cells damaged at a single TIP or non-TIP eventually exit mitosis with unrepaired lesions. Damaged TIPs are segregated into micronuclei at a significantly higher frequency than damaged non-TIPs. Together, these findings reveal a mitosis-specific DDR uniquely associated with chromosome ends.

The centromere, responsible for chromosome segregation during mitosis, is epigenetically defined by CENP-A containing chromatin. The amount of centromeric CENP-A has direct implications for both the architecture and epigenetic inheritance of centromeres. Using complementary strategies, we determined that typical human centromeres contain ∼400 molecules of CENP-A, which is controlled by a mass-action mechanism. This number, despite representing only ∼4% of all centromeric nucleosomes, forms a ∼50-fold enrichment to the overall genome. In addition, although pre-assembled CENP-A is randomly segregated during cell division, this amount of CENP-A is sufficient to prevent stochastic loss of centromere function and identity. Finally, we produced a statistical map of CENP-A occupancy at a human neocentromere and identified nucleosome positions that feature CENP-A in a majority of cells. In summary, we present a quantitative view of the centromere that provides a mechanistic framework for both robust epigenetic inheritance of centromeres and the paucity of neocentromere formation.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02137.001.

Abstract Background Plant biotechnology can be leveraged to produce food, fuel, medicine, and materials. Standardized methods advocated by the synthetic biology community can accelerate the plant design cycle, ultimately making plant engineering more widely accessible to bioengineers who can contribute diverse creative input to the design process. Results This paper presents work done largely by undergraduate students participating in the 2010 International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition. Described here is a framework for engineering the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana with standardized, BioBrick compatible vectors and parts available through the Registry of Standard Biological Parts (http://www.partsregistry.org). This system was used to engineer a proof-of-concept plant that exogenously expresses the taste-inverting protein miraculin. Conclusions Our work is intended to encourage future iGEM teams and other synthetic biologists to use plants as a genetic chassis. Our workflow simplifies the use of standardized parts in plant systems, allowing the construction and expression of heterologous genes in plants within the timeframe allotted for typical iGEM projects.

In this chapter, we review the imaging techniques and methods of molecular interrogation made possible by integrating laser light sources with microscopy. We discuss the advantages of exciting fluorescence by laser illumination and review commonly used laser-based imaging techniques such as confocal, multiphoton, and total internal reflection microcopy. We also discuss emerging imaging modalities based on intrinsic properties of biological macromolecules such as second harmonic generation imaging and coherent anti-Raman resonance spectroscopy. Super resolution techniques are presented that exceed the theoretical diffraction-limited resolution of a microscope objective. This chapter also focuses on laser-based techniques that can report biophysical parameters of fluorescently labeled molecules within living cells. Photobleaching techniques, fluorescence lifetime imaging, and fluorescence correlation methods can measure kinetic rates, molecular diffusion, protein-protein interactions, and concentration of a fluorophore-bound molecule. This chapter provides an introduction to the field of laser-based microscopy enabling readers to determine how best to match their research questions to the current suite of techniques.

BackgroundThe mitotic checkpoint prevents the onset of anaphase before all chromosomes are attached to spindle microtubules. The checkpoint is thought to act by the catalytic generation at unattached kinetochores of a diffusible "wait signal" that prevents anaphase. Mad2 and Cdc20, two candidate proteins for components of a diffusible wait signal, have previously been shown to be recruited to and rapidly released from unattached kinetochores.ResultsFluorescence recovery after photobleaching demonstrated that Mad1, Bub1, and a portion of Mad2, all essential mitotic-checkpoint components, are stably bound elements of unattached kinetochores (as are structural centromere components such as Centromere protein C [CENP-C]). After microtubule attachment, Mad1 and Mad2 are released from kinetochores and relocalize to spindle poles, whereas Bub1 remains at kinetochores.ConclusionsA long residence time at kinetochores identifies Bub1, Mad1, and a portion of Mad2 as part of a catalytic platform that recruits, activates, and releases a diffusible wait signal that is partly composed of the rapidly exchanging portion of Mad2. The release of Mad1 and Mad2, but not Bub1, from kinetochores upon attachment separates the elements of this "catalytic platform" and thereby silences generation of the anaphase inhibitor despite continued rapid cycling of Mad2 at spindle poles.

Piezo1 and 2 are evolutionarily conserved mechanosensory cation channels known to function on the cell surface by responding to external pressure and transducing a mechanically activated Ca2+ current. Here we show that both Piezo1 and 2 also exhibit concentrated intracellular localization at centrosomes. Both Piezo1 and 2 loss-of-function and Piezo1 activation by the small molecule Yoda1 result in supernumerary centrosomes, premature centriole disengagement, multi-polar spindles, and mitotic delay. By using a GFP, Calmodulin and M13 Protein fusion (GCaMP) Ca2+-sensitive reporter, we show that perturbations in Piezo modulate Ca2+ flux at centrosomes. Moreover, the inhibition of Polo-like-kinase 1 eliminates Yoda1-induced centriole disengagement. Because previous studies have implicated force generation by microtubules as essential for maintaining centrosomal integrity, we propose that mechanotransduction by Piezo maintains pericentrosomal Ca2+ within a defined range, possibly through sensing cell intrinsic forces from microtubules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repair process after tissue injury involves a regeneration phase, in which injured cells are replaced by cells of the same lineage (1), and a fibrotic phase, in which connective [...], Fibrosis is responsible for chronic progressive kidney failure, which is present in a large number of adults in the developed world. It is increasingly appreciated that acute kidney injury (AKI), resulting in aberrant incomplete repair, is a major contributor to chronic fibrotic kidney disease. The mechanism that triggers the fibrogenic response after injury is not well understood. In ischemic, toxic and obstructive models of AKI, we demonstrate a causal association between epithelial cell cycle G2/M arrest and a fibrotic outcome. G2/M-arrested proximal tubular cells activate c-jun N[H.sub.2]-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling, which acts to upregulate profibrotic cytokine production. Treatment with a JNK inhibitor, or bypassing the G2/M arrest by administration of a p53 inhibitor or the removal of the contralateral kidney, rescues fibrosis in the unilateral ischemic injured kidney. Hence, epithelial cell cycle arrest at G2/M and its subsequent downstream signaling are hitherto unrecognized therapeutic targets for the prevention of fibrosis and interruption of the accelerated progression of kidney disease.

The review discusses regulation of the cell cycle events with particular reference to anaphase stage of cell division. Data point out that Mad2 protein possessing ubiquitination and proteolytic machinery participates in the signal transmission for the spindle checkpoint.

This investigation identifies the linear independence of the internal representation of the multilayer perceptron as an essential property for exact learning. The sigmoidal hidden unit activation function has the ability to produce linearly independent outputs. As a result, the minimum number of hidden units for a set of specified input is the number of patterns less the rank of the input patterns. In addition, the basis of many training algorithms is shown to inherently increase the number of linearly independent vectors in the internal representations, thereby increasing the likelihood of exact learning. Index Terms - Internal representation, multilayer perceptrons.