Cell division articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Aurora B activation at the centromere is critical for faithful chromosome segregation in mammals. Here the authors show that Aurora B-mediated phosphorylation of histone H2AX at serine 121 is essential for Aurora B auto-activation circuitry at centromeres, ensuring proper chromosome segregation.

    • Midori Shimada
    • , Takahiro Goshima
    •  & Makoto Nakanishi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In most bacteria and archaea, a broadly conserved mitotic-like apparatus assures the inheritance of duplicated genetic material before cell division. Here, the authors use super-resolution microscopies to dissect the activities required for proper DNA segregation through the nucleoid interior.

    • Antoine Le Gall
    • , Diego I. Cattoni
    •  & Marcelo Nollmann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The cytokinetic ring consists of actin and myosin, but their organisation prior to and during constriction has not been observed. Here the authors observe that mammalian and yeast cells organise their rings differently, with mammalian cells forming a periodic pattern of myosin clusters and yeast rotating myosin clusters during constriction.

    • Viktoria Wollrab
    • , Raghavan Thiagarajan
    •  & Daniel Riveline

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ceruloplasmin has an important role in the stabilization and nuclear transport of HIF-1α, thus regulating VEGF expression. Here the authors show that the transcription factor SARI reduces colorectal cancer growth and angiogenesis in vivoby inducing the degradation of ceruloplasmin, thereby inhibiting the HIFα/VEGF axis.

    • Lei Dai
    • , Xueliang Cui
    •  & Hongxin Deng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cell shape influences function but during mitotic cell rounding the original shape is lost. Here the authors show that the cellular eccentricity of progenitor cell biases stochastic fate-decisions using a combination of quantitative live imaging, genetic manipulations and computational simulations.

    • Takashi Akanuma
    • , Cong Chen
    •  & Thomas N. Sato

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Placement of the bacterial division site is crucial for the creation of identical daughter cells. Here, the authors solve the structure of the MapZ protein, which helps to position the cell division protein FtsZ at the cell centre, and further analyse the function of the protein in vivo.

    • Sylvie Manuse
    • , Nicolas L. Jean
    •  & Jean-Pierre Simorre

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Golgi mitotic checkpoint couples Golgi inheritance with cell cycle transition, and regulates centrosomal recruitment of the mitotic kinase Aurora-A. Here the authors show that upon Golgi ribbon fragmentation in G2, Src phosphorylates Aurora-A at the Golgi, driving its localization to the centrosomes.

    • Maria Luisa Barretta
    • , Daniela Spano
    •  & Antonino Colanzi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cells delay completion of cytokinesis when chromatin is trapped at the intercellular bridge. Here, Petsalaki and Zachos report that Cdc-like kinases (Clks) 1, 2 and 4 localize to the midbody and phosphorylate the mitotic kinase Aurora B, imposing the abscission checkpoint to prevent premature abscission and chromatin breakage.

    • Eleni Petsalaki
    •  & George Zachos

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The extent to which mammals and other vertebrates share similar mechanisms of tissue regeneration is unclear. Here, the authors use an ear punch assay in spiny mice, which regenerate fully, to show blastema formation and mesenchymal cell proliferation as cell cycle regulators p21 and p27 remain cytoplasmic.

    • Thomas R. Gawriluk
    • , Jennifer Simkin
    •  & Ashley W. Seifert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The undifferentiated Gonium pectorale represents the initial transition to multicellularity. Here, Bradley Olson, Erik Hanschen and colleagues describe the genome of Gonium pectorale, demonstrating that co-option of the retinoblastoma cell cycle regulatory pathway was a key genetic change in the evolution of multicellularity.

    • Erik R. Hanschen
    • , Tara N. Marriage
    •  & Bradley J. S. C. Olson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The molecular mechanisms determining the temporal identity patterns of self-renewing progenitors during cerebral development are largely unclear. Here, using single cell transcriptome analyses, the authors find progenitor temporal identity arises independent of cell-cycle progression and Notch activation.

    • Mayumi Okamoto
    • , Takaki Miyata
    •  & Ayano Kawaguchi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Temporal regulation of microtubule dynamics in mitosis can be achieved by phosphorylation of microtubule plus-end proteins. Here, the authors show that Aurora B and CDK1 phosphorylate EB2, which changes microtubule binding affinity and controls kinetochore microtubule dynamics and genome stability.

    • Makoto Iimori
    • , Sugiko Watanabe
    •  & Yoshihiko Maehara

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mechanisms that trigger meiosis in germ cells and halt this process in non-germline cells are unclear. Here, the authors show that knockout of Maxin embryonic stem cells results in meiotic onset in a mechanism that involves the PRC1 complex.

    • Ayumu Suzuki
    • , Masataka Hirasaki
    •  & Akihiko Okuda

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) and its co-activator Cdc20 regulate mitotic progression, but both are also present in interphase. Here Hein and Nilsson show that Cyclin A2–CDK2 phosphorylates Cdc20 to inhibit APC/C–Cdc20 activity during this cell cycle phase to promote mitotic entry.

    • Jamin B. Hein
    •  & Jakob Nilsson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    During cell division, the orientation of the mitotic spindle is sensitive to forces exerted on the cell cortex. Here Petridou and Skourides show that such cues are sensed by a mechanosensory complex established on force activated integrin β1 independent of ligand binding.

    • Nicoletta I. Petridou
    •  & Paris A. Skourides

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The reprogramming of fibroblasts to pluripotent stem cells has been well documented but there is interest in identifying additional factors involved. Here, the authors perform a screen of human kinases and show that the bromodomain protein, BRD3R, can promote reprogramming and suggest a role for this factor in regulating mitosis.

    • Zhicheng Shao
    • , Ruowen Zhang
    •  & Kejin Hu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recent findings have challenged the established concept that retinoic acid (RA) induces foetal germ cells to enter meiosis. Here, Bowles et al. identify the enzyme ALDH1A1 as a source of ovarian RA that may induce meiosis even when other RA-synthetic enzymes are deleted.

    • Josephine Bowles
    • , Chun-Wei Feng
    •  & Peter Koopman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mitochondria are asymmetrically inherited during cell division, a process that can affect cell fate and lifespan. Here the authors describe a mechanism for mitochondrial quality control in yeast that maintains a reservoir of high-functioning mitochondria in mother cells and preserves maternal reproductive capacity.

    • Wolfgang M. Pernice
    • , Jason D. Vevea
    •  & Liza A. Pon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Drosophila neural stem cells (NSCs) are quiescent at early larval stages but how this is regulated is unclear. Here, Ding et al. show that quiescence of NSCs is mediated by cell-contact inhibition via the Hippo pathway transmembrane proteins Crumbs and Echinoid, which in turn are regulated by nutrient levels.

    • Rouven Ding
    • , Kevin Weynans
    •  & Christian Berger

  • Article
    | Open Access

    MukBEF, the bacterial structural maintenance of chromosomes complex, is known to associate with origins of replication and topoisomerase IV. Here the authors show an association of MukBEF with MatP and replication termination regions, important for proper sister chromatid decatenation and segregation.

    • Sophie Nolivos
    • , Amy L. Upton
    •  & David Sherratt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    To ensure genome stability, cells need to restrict DNA replication to once per cell cycle. Here the authors show that Cyclin F interacts with and targets the licensing factor CDC6 for degradation, preventing re-firing of replication origins.

    • David Walter
    • , Saskia Hoffmann
    •  & Claus Storgaard Sørensen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The physical origin and termination sites of DNA replication in human cells have remained elusive. Here the authors use Okazaki fragment sequencing to reveal global replication patterns and show how chromatin and transcription modulate the process.

    • Nataliya Petryk
    • , Malik Kahli
    •  & Olivier Hyrien

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Meiosis is a cell division program that produces haploid gametes and is initiated by a retinoic acid-dependent process. Here the authors report that a meiosis-specific protein, MEIOC, is upregulated in a retinoic acid-independent manner and is required to stabilise meiosis-specific transcripts.

    • Emilie Abby
    • , Sophie Tourpin
    •  & Gabriel Livera

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The spindle assembly checkpoint relies on the accumulation of Mad1-Mad2 at kinetochores, but the mechanism of regulation is not known. Here Zhou et al. show that the centrosomal protein Cep57 interacts with the kinetochore proteins Mis12 and Mad1, and regulates the recruitment of Mad1/Mad2 to kinetochores.

    • Haining Zhou
    • , Tianning Wang
    •  & Jianguo Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Imaging flow cytometry enables high-throughput acquisition of fluorescence, brightfield and darkfield images of biological cells. Here, Blasi et al.demonstrate that applying machine learning algorithms on brightfield and darkfield images can detect cellular phenotypes without the need for fluorescent stains, enabling label-free assays.

    • Thomas Blasi
    • , Holger Hennig
    •  & Paul Rees

  • Article
    | Open Access

    During metaphase, k-fibre microtubules exert force on kinetochores, but there are also non-kinetochore microtubules close to kinetochores without a known function. Here the authors show that these microtubules, which they call bridging fibres, balance interkinetochore tension by bridging sister k-fibres.

    • Janko Kajtez
    • , Anastasia Solomatina
    •  & Iva M. Tolić

  • Article
    | Open Access

    How the mitotic spindle is positioned in the centre of the cell during the first mitotic division is not clear. Here Chaigne et al.show that the pronucleus coarsely centres using F-actin/Myosin-Vb dynamics, and the metaphase plate is finely centred by an F-actin cage influenced by high cortical tension.

    • Agathe Chaigne
    • , Clément Campillo
    •  & Marie-Emilie Terret

  • Article
    | Open Access

    RepoMan is a signalling scaffold for mitotic phosphatases PP1 and PP2A-B56, which regulate targeting of Aurora B and RepoMan respectively, to the chromosomes. Here Qian et al.show that Cdk1 phosphorylates RepoMan to modulate the binding of PP1 and PP2A-B56, contributing to orderly mitotic progression.

    • Junbin Qian
    • , Monique Beullens
    •  & Mathieu Bollen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Genomic instability can result from stalled or collapsed replication fork at sites of unrepaired DNA lesions. Here the authors uncover a new lesion bypass pathway for the T7 replisome, where leading strand template lesions can be overcome through interaction between the replisome's helicase and polymerase components.

    • Bo Sun
    • , Manjula Pandey
    •  & Michelle D. Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Set8-Set7 methyltransferase plays a critical role in cell cycle progression and tumorigenesis, and is degraded through modification by the E3 ubiquitin ligase CRL4Cdt2. Here Wang et al. identify SCFβ-TRCPas an additional E3 ubiquitin ligase that marks Set8 for degradation in response to DNA damage.

    • Zhiwei Wang
    • , Xiangpeng Dai
    •  & Wenyi Wei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is a non-canonical IκB kinase that regulates immunity via NF-κB. Here Pillai et al. show that TBK1 localizes to centrosomes during mitosis, and regulates microtubule dynamics and spindle formation by phosphorylating the centrosomal protein CEP170 and the mitotic apparatus protein NuMa.

    • Smitha Pillai
    • , Jonathan Nguyen
    •  & Srikumar Chellappan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Separase-mediated cleavage of pericentrin is an essential step for centriole separation during mitotic exit. Here, Kim et al.show that pericentrin has to be phosphorylated by PLK1 in order to be cleaved by separase, which provides an additional layer of regulation for centriole separation during mitotic exit.

    • Jaeyoun Kim
    • , Kwanwoo Lee
    •  & Kunsoo Rhee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    At puberty, hormones stimulate mammalian oocytes to resume meiosis, which is linked to dynamic epigenetic changes, but what controls such changes are unknown. Here, Kim et al. identify LSD1, a lysine demethylase, as regulating histone methylation at meiotic progression and also female fertility.

    • Jeesun Kim
    • , Anup Kumar Singh
    •  & Taiping Chen

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