Co-segregation of yeast plasmid sisters under monopolin-directed mitosis suggests association of plasmid sisters with sister chromatids

Nucleic Acids Res. 2013 Apr;41(7):4144-58. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkt096. Epub 2013 Feb 18.

Abstract

The 2-micron plasmid, a high copy extrachromosomal element in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, propagates itself with nearly the same stability as the chromosomes of its host. Plasmid stability is conferred by a partitioning system consisting of the plasmid-coded proteins Rep1 and Rep2 and a cis-acting locus STB. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the partitioning system couples plasmid segregation to chromosome segregation during mitosis. However, the coupling mechanism has not been elucidated. In order to probe into this question more incisively, we have characterized the segregation of a single-copy STB reporter plasmid by manipulating mitosis to force sister chromatids to co-segregate either without mother-daughter bias or with a finite daughter bias. We find that the STB plasmid sisters are tightly correlated to sister chromatids in the extents of co-segregation as well as the bias in co-segregation under these conditions. Furthermore, this correlation is abolished by delaying spindle organization or preventing cohesin assembly during a cell cycle. Normal segregation of the 2-micron plasmid has been shown to require spindle integrity and the cohesin complex. Our results are accommodated by a model in which spindle- and cohesin-dependent association of plasmid sisters with sister chromatids promotes their segregation by a hitchhiking mechanism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aurora Kinases
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Chromatids / genetics*
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Chromosome Segregation*
  • Cohesins
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Mitosis / genetics*
  • Plasmids / genetics*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Tubulin Modulators / pharmacology

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • SPO13 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Tubulin Modulators
  • Aurora Kinases
  • IPL1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases