La mitose permet la multiplication des cellules, contribuant ainsi à générer de nouveaux organismes unicellulaires, ou à construire des organismes multicellulaires. Pendant la mitose, le génome répliqué de la cellule mère est réparti entre les deux cellules filles. Les erreurs survenant lors de la répartition peuvent mener à l’aneuploïdie, une caractéristique de certaines maladies développementales dont les cancers. La fidélité de la répartition des chromatides sœurs dépend du fuseau mitotique, un réseau bipolaire de microtubules qui dirigent les chromosomes via leurs interactions avec les kinétochores assembles sur les chromatides sœurs. Ces interactions mènent à l’alignement des chromosomes, et à leur biorientation. Les chromatides sœurs sont alors attachés à des microtubules .manant des pôles opposés du fuseau. La ségrégation des chromatides sœurs a alors lieu en anaphase, et simultanément le fuseau central est assemblé entre les deux jeux de chromosomes. Cette structure composée de microtubules contribue à la ségrégation des chromatides sœurs en spécifiant la localisation et en favorisant l’ingression du sillon de division cellulaire. Pendant ma thèse, j’ai étudié les fonctions d’un ensemble de protéines du kinétochore, BUB-1, HCP-1/2CENP-F et CLS-2CLASP, lors de la mitose dans les zygotes de C. elegans. En combinant des approches de génétique et de vidéo-microscopie, j’ai montré que ces protéines participent à l’alignement et à la ségrégation des chromosomes. En particulier, BUB-1 contribue à l’alignement des chromosomes en accélérant l’attachement des microtubules aux kinétochores, tout en contrôlant la conformation et la maturation de ces attachements. Ces activités dépendent du recrutement de HCP-1/2 et CLS-2 par BUB-1, mais aussi du complexe RZZ et de la dynéine, ainsi que d’une activité de BUB-1 inhibant le recrutement du complexe SKA aux kinétochores. De plus, j’ai montré que BUB-1, HCP-1/2 and CLS-2 contribuent à l’assemblage des microtubules du fuseau central via l’activité polymérase de CLS-2. Cette fonction dépend du pré-recrutement de ces protéines aux kinétochores en métaphase, en aval de KNL-1, révélant une nouvelle fonction pour les kinétochores dans l’assemblage du fuseau central. Ce travail identifie donc des fonctions versatiles pour ces protéines, les plaçant comme des gardiennes majeures de l’intégrité génétique / Mitosis is a process by which cells multiply, contributing to the generation of new unicellular organisms, or the construction of multicellular organisms. During mitosis, the daughter cells inherit an identical copy of the mother cell’s replicated genome. Errors in genetic material distribution can lead to aneuploidy, a hallmark of developmental diseases including cancer. The accurate segregation of sister chromatids relies on the mitotic spindle, a bipolar network of microtubules that governs chromosome movements by interacting with the kinetochores assembled on sister chromatids. This drives chromosome alignment at the spindle equator, and chromosome bi-orientation meaning that sister kinetochores are connected to opposite spindle poles, laying the ground for sister chromatid segregation during anaphase. Once segregation has initiated, the microtubule-based central spindle is assembled between the two sets of chromosomes. This structure contributes to sister chromatid segregation, by specifying the location and favoring the ingression of the cytokinesis furrow. During my thesis, I have studied the functions of a subset of conserved kinetochore proteins called BUB-1, HCP-1/2CENP-F and CLS-2CLASP, during mitosis in C. elegans zygotes. By combining genetics and live imaging, I have shown that these proteins are involved both in chromosome alignment and segregation. In particular, I have shown that BUB-1 contributes to chromosome alignment by accelerating the establishment of end-on kinetochore-microtubule attachments, while controlling the conformation and maturation of these attachments. These activities rely on BUB-1’s downstream partners HCP-1/2CENP-F and CLS-2CLASP, but also on the RZZ complex and dynein, as well as an activity for BUB-1 in inhibiting the recruitment of the SKA complex. Additionally, I have shown that BUB-1, HCP-1/2CENP-F and CLS-2CLASP contribute to central spindle microtubule assembly, via CLS-2CLASP’s polymerase activity. This function relies on the prior kinetochore recruitment of these proteins during metaphase by the kinetochore scaffold protein KNL-1, revealing a new function for the kinetochore in central spindle assembly. Together, this work identifies versatile functions for this subset of conserved kinetochore proteins, making them major safe-keepers of genomic integrity

Master of Science / Department of Biochemistry / Qize Wei / Proper regulation of mitosis and cytokinesis is fundamentally important for all living organisms. During anaphase, antiparallel microtubules are bundled between the separating chromosomes, forming the central spindle (also called the spindle midzone), and the myosin contractile ring is assembled at the equatorial cortex. Regulators of central spindle formation and myosin contractile ring assembly are mostly restricted to the interdigitated microtubules of central spindles and they can be collectively called midzone components. It is thought that characteristic microtubule configurations during mitosis and cytokinesis are dictated by the coordinated action of microtubule-stabilizing and -destabilizing factors. Although extensive investigations have focused on understanding the roles of microtubule-bundling/stabilizing factors in controlling central spindle formation, efforts have been lacking in aiming to understand how microtubule-destabilizing factors regulate the assembly of central spindles. This dissertation describes the role of a novel microtubule-destabilizing factor termed CCDC69 (coiled-coil domain-containing protein 69) in controlling the assembly of central spindles and the recruitment of midzone components. Endogenous CCDC69 was localized to the nucleus during interphase and to the central spindle during anaphase. Exogenous expression of CCDC69 in HeLa cells destabilized microtubules and disrupted the formation of bipolar mitotic spindles. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of CCDC69 led to the formation of aberrant central spindles and interfered with the localization of midzone components such as aurora B kinase, protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1), MgcRacGAP/HsCYK-4, and pololike kinase 1 (Plk1) at the central spindle. CCDC69 knockdown also decreased equatorial RhoA staining, indicating that CCDC69 deficiency can impair equatorial RhoA activation and ultimately lead to cytokinesis defects. Four coiled-coil domains were found in CCDC69 and the C terminal coiled-coil domain was required for interaction with aurora B. Disruption of aurora B function in HeLa cells by treatment with a small chemical inhibitor led to the mislocalization of CCDC69 at the central spindle. Further, vitro kinase assay showed that Plk1 could phosphorylate CCDC69. Taken together, we propose that CCDC69 acts as a scaffold and a microtubule-destabilizing factor to control the recruitment of midzone components and the assembly of central spindles.

Aurora A (AurA) is an important mitotic kinase mainly studied for its involvement in cell cycle progression, centrosome maturation, mitotic spindle pole organization and bipolar spindle formation. It localizes to duplicated centrosomes and spindle microtubules (MTs) during mitosis where it regulates various factors participating in metaphase spindle formation. AurA is degraded late in mitosis suggesting that it might also have a function in anaphase. In this study we focused in understanding AurA function during anaphase in two different experimental systems. First, we kept AurA active in cycled Xenopus egg extracts and found that MTs maintained their mitotic organization longer throughout mitotic exit. We also observed chromosome segregation defects and problematic nuclear envelope formation. These observations indicate that AurA activity needs to be down-regulated for the transition from metaphase back to interphase. To get insights into the role of AurA during metaphase-anaphase transition we initially asked whether its kinase activity is still necessary for the maintenance of the metaphase spindle. We saw that the inhibition of AurA kinase activity in metaphase resulted to a collapse of the established metaphase spindle in HeLa cells. Indicating that AurA activity is necessary for the metaphase spindle maintenance. Then, we looked whether AurA kinase activity is still necessary during anaphase. We inhibited AurA at the onset of anaphase in Hela cells and found that anaphase spindles were smaller. We also observed that the MT structure responsible for anaphase spindle elongation, the central spindle, was defectively assembled and organized. Moreover, in cells where AurA was inhibited segregation of chromosomes was defective. These results indicate that AurA kinase activity is necessary for anaphase spindle elongation, central spindle assembly and organization and chromosome segregation. To understand further how AurA regulates anaphase spindle formation we looked known AurA substrates. We depleted TACC3, a known AurA substrate involved in MT formation earlier in mitosis and observed that TACC3 depletion phenocopied AurA inhibition. This indicates that TACC3 has a function in MT organization and chromosome segregation during anaphase and this function could possibly be regulated by AurA. In this study we have demonstrated that AurA activity is essential for metaphase spindle maintenance. We also found that during anaphase when AurA is either maintained active or inhibited MT organization is greatly affected and chromosome segregation is defective. Suggesting that AurA activity needs to be tightly controlled during anaphase for a correct completion of mitosis. / Aurora A (AurA) es una quinasa mitótica importante que se ha estudiado principalmente en su papel durante la progresión del ciclo celular, la maduración del centrosoma, la organización y la formación del polo y del huso mitótico. Durante la mitosis, AurA se localiza en los centrosomas duplicados y en los microtúbulos (MTs) del huso y se ha observado que regula varios factores que participan en la formación del huso mitótico. AurA se degrada al final de la mitosis indicando que pueda tener una función durante la anafase. En este estudio nos hemos centrado en la comprensión de la función de AurA durante la anafase en dos sistemas experimentales diferentes. En primer lugar, utilizando extractos de huevos de Xenopus hemos mantenido AurA activa durante la transición de metafase a anafase y hemos visto que los MTs del huso mitótico mantienen su organización durante más tiempo. También hemos observado que cuando AurA se mantiene activa existen defectos en la segregación cromosómica y la formación de la membrana nuclear. Esto indica que la actividad de AurA tiene un papel regulador sobre los MTs y la chromatina durante la transición de la metafase a la interfase. Para entender cual es la función de AurA durante la transición de metafase a anafase primero hemos estudiado si la actividad de la quinasa es necesaria para el mantenimiento del huso mitótico. Hemos visto que la inhibición de la actividad quinasa AurA resultó en el colapso del huso durante la metafase en células HeLa. Esto indica que la actividad de AurA es necesaria para el mantenimiento del huso mitótico de metafase. A continuación hemos analizamos si la actividad quinasa de AurA sigue siendo necesaria para la anafase. Para ello hemos inhibido AurA en células Hela al inicio de la anafase. En estas condiciones los husos de la anafase son más pequeños y la estructura de los MTs responsable del alargamiento del huso mitótico durante la anafase, el huso central, se organiza defectuosamente. Además, se encontraron errores durante la segregación de los cromosomas. Estos resultados indican que la actividad quinasa de AurA es necesaria para el alargamiento del huso durante la anafase y la organización y segregación cromosómica. Para entender el mecanismo de la función de AurA durante la anafase hemos estudiado a sustratos de AurA. Al estudiar TACC3 , un sustrato conocido de AurA que participa en la formación de MTs en las fase iniciales de la mitosis hemos encontrado que su eliminación de células HeLa produce el mismo fenotipo que la inhibición de AurA. Esto indica que TACC3 tiene una función en la organización de MT y la segregación de cromosomas durante la anafase y que esta función podría estar regulada por la quinasa AurA. En este estudio hemos demostrado que la actividad quinasa de AurA es esencial para el mantenimiento del huso mitótico. También hemos encontrado que durante la anafase cuando la quinasa AurA se mantiene activa o se inhibe la organización de los MTs del huso mitótico se ve muy afectada y los cromosomas se segregan defectuosamente. Por tanto los resultados de este estudio indican que la actividad quinasa de AurA está estrechamente controlada durante la anafase para el correcto cumplimiento de la mitosis.