Novel response to microtubule perturbation in meiosis.
During the mitotic cell cycle, microtubule depolymerization leads to a cell cycle arrest in metaphase, due to activation of the spindle checkpoint. Here, we show that under microtubule-destabilizing conditions, such as low temperature or the presence of the spindle-depolymerizing drug benomyl, meiotic budding yeast cells arrest in G(1) or G(2), instead of metaphase. Cells arrest in G(1) if microtubule perturbation occurs as they enter the meiotic cell cycle and in G(2) if cells are already undergoing premeiotic S phase. Concomitantly, cells down-regulate genes required for cell cycle progression, meiotic differentiation, and spore formation in a highly coordinated manner. Decreased expression of these genes is likely to be responsible for halting both cell cycle progression and meiotic development. Our results point towards the existence of a novel surveillance mechanism of microtubule integrity that may be particularly important during specialized cell cycles when coordination of cell cycle progression with a developmental program is necessary.
Hochwagen
Andreas
A
Center for Cancer Research, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, E17-233, 40 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Wrobel
Gunnar
G
Cartron
Marie
M
Demougin
Philippe
P
Niederhauser-Wiederkehr
Christa
C
Boselli
Monica G
MG
Primig
Michael
M
Amon
Angelika
A
D001542:Benomyl / Q000494:pharmacology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D023902:Chromosome Pairing / Q000187:drug effects; D003080:Cold Temperature; D019926:Cyclin B; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008540:Meiosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
C491083:CLB3 protein, S cerevisiae; D019926:Cyclin B; D016213:Cyclins; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D001542:Benomyl