Fingerprinting heterocellular β-adrenoceptor functional expression in the brain using agonist activity profiles.

Noradrenergic projections from the brainstem locus coeruleus drive arousal, attentiveness, mood, and memory, but specific adrenoceptor (AR) function across the varied brain cell types has not been extensively characterized, especially with agonists. This study reports a pharmacological analysis of brain AR function, offering insights for innovative therapeutic interventions that might serve to compensate for locus coeruleus decline, known to develop in the earliest phases of neurodegenerative diseases. First, β-AR agonist activities were measured in recombinant cell systems and compared with those of isoprenaline to generate Δlog(E/EC) values, system-independent metrics of agonist activity, that, in turn, provide receptor subtype fingerprints.

Xenopus laevis M18BP1 Directly Binds Existing CENP-A Nucleosomes to Promote Centromeric Chromatin Assembly.

Vertebrate centromeres are epigenetically defined by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant, CENP-A. CENP-A nucleosome assembly requires the three-protein Mis18 complex (Mis18α, Mis18β, and M18BP1) that recruits the CENP-A chaperone HJURP to centromeres, but how the Mis18 complex recognizes centromeric chromatin is unknown. Using Xenopus egg extract, we show that direct, cell-cycle-regulated binding of M18BP1 to CENP-A nucleosomes recruits the Mis18 complex to interphase centromeres to promote new CENP-A nucleosome assembly.

Chromosome Segregation: Reconstituting the Kinetochore.

Faithful chromosome segregation is accomplished by attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules using the kinetochore. In a major step forward in understanding the functional and structural complexity of kinetochores, a 21-subunit human centromere - kinetochore complex has been reconstituted entirely from purified components, recreating the connection between DNA and microtubule.

Acetylation of histone H4 lysine 5 and 12 is required for CENP-A deposition into centromeres.

Centromeres are specified epigenetically through the deposition of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A. However, how additional epigenetic features are involved in centromere specification is unknown. Here, we find that histone H4 Lys5 and Lys12 acetylation (H4K5ac and H4K12ac) primarily occur within the pre-nucleosomal CENP-A-H4-HJURP (CENP-A chaperone) complex, before centromere deposition.

A cell-free CENP-A assembly system defines the chromatin requirements for centromere maintenance.

Centromeres are defined by the presence of CENP-A nucleosomes in chromatin and are essential for accurate chromosome segregation. Centromeric chromatin epigenetically seeds new CENP-A nucleosome formation, thereby maintaining functional centromeres as cells divide. The features within centromeric chromatin that direct new CENP-A assembly remain unclear.

The centromere: epigenetic control of chromosome segregation during mitosis.

A fundamental challenge for the survival of all organisms is maintaining the integrity of the genome in all cells. Cells must therefore segregate their replicated genome equally during each cell division. Eukaryotic organisms package their genome into a number of physically distinct chromosomes, which replicate during S phase and condense during prophase of mitosis to form paired sister chromatids.

Functions of the centromere and kinetochore in chromosome segregation.

Centromeres play essential roles in equal chromosome segregation by directing the assembly of the microtubule binding kinetochore and serving as the cohesion site between sister chromatids. Here, we review the significant recent progress in our understanding of centromere protein assembly and how centromere proteins form the foundation of the kinetochore.

The spindle assembly checkpoint.

During mitosis and meiosis, the spindle assembly checkpoint acts to maintain genome stability by delaying cell division until accurate chromosome segregation can be guaranteed. Accuracy requires that chromosomes become correctly attached to the microtubule spindle apparatus via their kinetochores. When not correctly attached to the spindle, kinetochores activate the spindle assembly checkpoint network, which in turn blocks cell cycle progression.

The split personality of CENP-A nucleosomes.

The composition and structure of centromeric nucleosomes, which contain the histone H3 variant CENP-A, is intensely debated. Two independent studies in this issue, in yeast and human cells, now suggest that CENP-A nucleosomes adopt different structures depending on the stage of the cell cycle.

p31comet-mediated extraction of Mad2 from the MCC promotes efficient mitotic exit.

Accurate chromosome segregation requires the spindle assembly checkpoint to be active at the onset of mitosis, before being silenced following chromosome alignment. p31(comet) is a checkpoint antagonist in that its inhibition delays mitotic exit, whereas its overexpression overrides the checkpoint. How exactly p31(comet) antagonises the checkpoint is unclear.

Isolation of compensatory inhibitor domain mutants to novel activation domain variants using the split-ubiquitin screen.

The control of transcription factor function plays an important role in the development of many processes in eukaryotes, such as drug resistance in fungi and human tumours undergoing chemotherapy. Detailed molecular mapping of the interactions between transcription factors and their protein partners can give important information about their mechanisms of action and reveal potential therapeutic targets. We devised a genetic screening system for mapping the interaction site between the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcription factor-inhibitor pair Gal4p and Gal80p.

Re-evaluating the role of Tao1 in the spindle checkpoint.

The spindle checkpoint restrains anaphase onset and mitotic exit until all chromosomes are stably attached to the mitotic spindle via their kinetochores. The Tao1 protein kinase was recently reported as a novel spindle checkpoint component. When an siRNA was used to repress Tao1, the essential spindle checkpoint component Mad2 failed to localise to kinetochores, and cells rapidly exited mitosis.