title: Laser microsurgery reveals conserved viscoelastic behavior of the kinetochore.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Gheorghe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cojoc
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Biocomplexity Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roscioli
authors.affiliation: Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Chromosome Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Ulloa
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: Jagesh V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Beckman Laser Institute and University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92612.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Berns
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Nenad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Biocomplexity Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061 gregan@fns.uniba.sk tolic@irb.hr cimini@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cimini
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia gregan@fns.uniba.sk tolic@irb.hr cimini@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Iva M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Tolić
authors.affiliation: Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Chromosome Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria gregan@fns.uniba.sk tolic@irb.hr cimini@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Juraj
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gregan
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D020090:Chromosome Segregation; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D018386:Kinetochores / Q000378:metabolism*; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D008866:Microsurgery; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging; D014162:Transfection; D014783:Viscosity; D000097767:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase 11
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D000097767:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase 11; C120529:NDC80 protein, human