Divergent Strategies for Controlling the Nuclear Membrane Satisfy Geometric Constraints during Nuclear Division

Candice Yam, Yue He, Dan Zhang, Keng-Hwee Chiam, Snezhana Oliferenko*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

84 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Eukaryotes segregate chromosomes in "open" or "closed" mitosis, depending on whether their nuclear envelopes (NEs) break down or remain intact. Here we show that the control of the nuclear surface area may determine the choice between these two modes. The dividing nucleus does not expand its surface in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, confining the mitotic spindle and causing it to buckle. The NE ruptures in anaphase, releasing the compressive stress and allowing chromosome segregation. Blocking the NE expansion in the related species Schizosaccharomyces pombe that undergoes closed mitosis induces spindle buckling and collapse in the absence of an intrinsic NE rupture mechanism. We propose that scaling considerations could have shaped the evolution of eukaryotic mitosis by necessitating either nuclear surface expansion or the NE breakdown.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1314-1319
Number of pages6
JournalCurrent Biology
Volume21
Issue number15
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 9 Aug 2011

Keywords

  • FISSION YEAST
  • SCHIZOSACCHAROMYCES-JAPONICUS
  • MITOSIS
  • EVOLUTION
  • MUTANTS
  • LEM2

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