What are the phases of Mitosis?
G2/ M Transition: checkpoint to make sure that DNA replication is finished
Prophase: breakdown of nuclear envelope. Chromosomes (two sister chromatids held together by cohesion complex) condense and are released into cytoplasm. Centrosomes are moving to the poles to build spindle.
Prometaphase: bipolar spindle is set up and capture and attach to chromosomes.
Metaphase: alignment of chromosomes on the metaphase plate: spindles form out of highly dynamic microtubules and connect to kinetochores to place the chromosomes in the middle.
Transition Meta/Ana: check if every chromosome is aligned on the metaphase plate
Anaphase: sister chromatids are separated from each other with the help of shrinkage of the microtubules.
Telophase: sister chromatids arrive near to the position of the centrosomes. reestablishment of daughter cell nuclei
Cytokinesis: cleavage of cytoplasm by contractile ring
M/G1 transition
What are cohesin complexes?
Cohesin ring complexes are protein complexes, which physically hold together the sister chromatids during prophase of Mitosis
Probably are already Loaded on the Chomosomes before/ during DNA replication (late G1)
What is the structure and function of the Mitotic spindle?
Kinetochore microtubules
directly attach to the kinetochore region on the chromosomes
Tension across sister kinetochores
Separation of chromosomes and then separation of sister chromatids
Interpolation microtubules
overlapping regions with motor proteins which bind to both microtubules
For separation of centrosomes-> provide stability
High forces are needed to move chromosomes through the cell
Astral microtubules
anchor the spindles to actin structures in the surface -> stability
Positioning of centrosomes
What is the structure of Microtubules?
Dynamic structure
alpha-ß heterodimers -> build up Protokoll filaments (alpha at minus end, embedded in centrosome)
Growth at plus end
13 protofilaments build a hollow structure
Dynamic instability
growth and shrinkage = catastrophe and rescue
Regulation by microtubules associated proteins (MAPs)
What is the search and capture mechanism?
microtubules are polymerised from the centrosomes and are searching the entire cytoplasm to get a connection to a kinetochore
Fast grow and shrinkage
Kinetochores and microtubules
Prometaphase
kinetochores are built on centromeric DNA (highly repetitive-> non-coding)
consist of many different Proteins 10-40 microtubules bind to one kinetochore
The bound of the kinetochores is extremely tight, despite the high dynamics of the microtubules
Gedöst the cell ales sure that all chromosomes are aligned on the metaphase plate before transitioning to the Anaphase?
Equal Tension on both sides
Tension activates kinases which signal the correct alignment
Explain the sister chromatids separation in the Anaphase
Only if all chromosomes are perfectly aligned
Triggered by cleavage (by protease) of cohesin ring -> all released at once.
Shrinkage of microtubules
Spindle moves apart along with the cell enlargement (driven by Motorproteins of interpolation kinetochores
Kinetochore microtubules get shorter
How is the G2/M transition regulated?
CDKs triggers the onset of mitosis if 2 inhibitory phosphorylations (Wee1, Myt1) are removed.
Active CDK pool phosphorylates various substrates which results in the chromosome condensation, nuclear envelope breakdown, centrosome separation + maturation and spindle assembly
CDKs phosphorylate laminate filaments of nuclear envelope -> laminate looses ability of interaction
How is the Meta/anaphase transition regulated?
bipolar attachement of kinetochores to spindle needed-> build up of tension
Triggered by the cleavage of cohesin ring complexes
Regulation
Scc1 unit gets cleaved at transition point (-> release of cohesin ring) -> mediated by seperase (protease)
-> separation of sister chromatids
Early phases of mitosis: seperase Inhibited by securin
In transition, the inhibitor gets inhibited by ubiquitination (degradation) -> seperase is irreversibly activated
means that the activation of seperase is achieved by the Anaphase promoting complex mediated degradation of Securin.
Anaphase promoting complex also has substrates later in Mitosis (Telophase): responsible for degraded cyclin b which leads to irreversible inactivation of CDK1 (needed for Mitosis exit)
Explain the spindle assembly checkpoint
The checkpoint is active in early phases of mitosisand inhibits the onset of anaphase until every chromosome is properly aligned.
Unaligned kinetochores produce constantly subcomplexes (Bub, Mad,…), which diffuse through cell and inhibit APC/C.
One unaligned kinetochore is sufficient to inhibit all APC/C.
When all kinetochores are aligned, they can no longer produce diffusable subcomplexes. -> APC/C gets active -> degrade securin -> activate protease -> Anaphase can start
What happens if the spindle checkpoint is not fuctional?
Usually
Damaged
checkpoint would not wait for all chromosomes to be aligned -> abnormal cell division: Aneuploidy (-> tumorigenesis)
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