title: The fission yeast NIMA kinase Fin1p is required for spindle function and nuclear envelope integrity.
abstract: NIMA kinases appear to be the least functionally conserved mitotic regulators, being implicated in chromosome condensation in fungi and in spindle function in metazoans. We demonstrate here that the fission yeast NIMA homologue, Fin1p, can induce profound chromosome condensation in the absence of the condensin and topoisomerase II, indicating that Fin1p-induced condensation differs from mitotic condensation. Fin1p expression is transcriptionally and post-translationally cell cycle-regulated, with Fin1p kinase activity maximal from the metaphase-anaphase transition to G(1). Fin1p is localized to the spindle pole body and fin1Delta cells are hypersensitive to anti-microtubule drugs, synthetically lethal with a number of spindle mutants and require the spindle checkpoint for viability. Moreover, fin1Delta cells show unusual and extensive elaborations of the nuclear envelope. These data support a role for Fin1p in spindle function and nuclear envelope transactions at or after the metaphase-anaphase transition that may be generally applicable to other NIMA-family members.
authors.affiliation: Trescowthick Research Laboratories, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Locked Bag 1, A'Beckett Street, Melbourne, Victoria 8006, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael J E
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Krien
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Ulrik P
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Kalli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koniaras
authors.forename: J Richard
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Connell
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal / Q000502:physiology; D000072380:NIMA-Related Kinase 1; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000072380:NIMA-Related Kinase 1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C000606921:fin1 protein, S pombe