Open AccessNovel Response to Microtubule Perturbation in Meiosis
Author(s) -
Andreas Hochwagen,
Gunnar Wrobel,
Marie Cartron,
Philippe Demougin,
Christa Niederhauser-Wiederkehr,
Monica Boselli,
Michael Primig,
Angelika Amon
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.25.11.4767-4781.2005
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , cell cycle , mitosis , kinetochore , cell cycle checkpoint , spindle checkpoint , microtubule , meiosis , metaphase , spindle pole body , nocodazole , genetics , spindle apparatus , cell division , cell , gene , cytoskeleton , chromosome
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.