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Special Issue Editor

Dr. George Zachos

Department of Biology, University of Crete, 715 00 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: mitosis; spindle checkpoint; abscission; cytokinesis; DNA damage; kinetochores; mitotic spindle; chromosomes; Chk1; Chk2; cell division; cancer research

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A Special Issue on the “Molecular Control of Chromosome Segregation and Stability in Mitosis” is being prepared for IJMS. During mitosis, the cell must accurately divide its replicated chromosomes into two daughter cells by following a series of well-orchestrated events. Because errors in this process can lead to aneuploidy or chromosomal instability, which are associated with human disorders or cancer, understanding the mechanisms that safeguard chromosome segregation is a major focus of biomedical research. For this Special Issue, we welcome submissions (original papers and reviews) that address the mechanisms of mitotic cell division, including mitotic spindle formation, kinetochore assembly, kinetochore–microtubule interactions, spindle checkpoint signaling, cytokinesis, and the abscission checkpoint in higher eukaryotic cells.

Dr. George Zachos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

mitosis
chromosome
kinetochore
mitotic spindle
mitotic spindle checkpoint
cytokinesis
abscission
cell division
chromosomal instability
aneuploidy
DNA damage
cancer

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 4353 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Frequent Spindle Assembly Errors Require Structural Rearrangement to Complete Meiosis in Zea mays

by Jodi D. Weiss, Shelby L. McVey, Sarah E. Stinebaugh, Caroline F. Sullivan, R. Kelly Dawe and Natalie J. Nannas

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(8), 4293; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23084293 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2218

Abstract

The success of an organism is contingent upon its ability to faithfully pass on its genetic material. In the meiosis of many species, the process of chromosome segregation requires that bipolar spindles be formed without the aid of dedicated microtubule organizing centers, such as centrosomes. Here, we describe detailed analyses of acentrosomal spindle assembly and disassembly in time-lapse images, from live meiotic cells of Zea mays. Microtubules organized on the nuclear envelope with a perinuclear ring structure until nuclear envelope breakdown, at which point microtubules began bundling into a bipolar form. However, the process and timing of spindle assembly was highly variable, with frequent assembly errors in both meiosis I and II. Approximately 61% of cells formed incorrect spindle morphologies, with the most prevalent being tripolar spindles. The erroneous spindles were actively rearranged to bipolar through a coalescence of poles before proceeding to anaphase. Spindle disassembly occurred as a two-state process with a slow depolymerization, followed by a quick collapse. The results demonstrate that maize meiosis I and II spindle assembly is remarkably fluid in the early assembly stages, but otherwise proceeds through a predictable series of events. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Control of Chromosome Segregation and Stability in Mitosis)

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Review

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14 pages, 1110 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Progress on the Localization of PLK1 to the Kinetochore and Its Role in Mitosis

by Taekyung Kim

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(9), 5252; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23095252 - 08 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3207

Abstract

The accurate distribution of the replicated genome during cell division is essential for cell survival and healthy organismal development. Errors in this process have catastrophic consequences, such as birth defects and aneuploidy, a hallmark of cancer cells. PLK1 is one of the master kinases in mitosis and has multiple functions, including mitotic entry, chromosome segregation, spindle assembly checkpoint, and cytokinesis. To dissect the role of PLK1 in mitosis, it is important to understand how PLK1 localizes in the specific region in cells. PLK1 localizes at the kinetochore and is essential in spindle assembly checkpoint and chromosome segregation. However, how PLK1 localizes at the kinetochore remains elusive. Here, we review the recent literature on the kinetochore recruitment mechanisms of PLK1 and its roles in spindle assembly checkpoint and attachment between kinetochores and spindle microtubules. Together, this review provides an overview of how the local distribution of PLK1 could regulate major pathways in mitosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Control of Chromosome Segregation and Stability in Mitosis)

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Figure 1

19 pages, 1588 KiB

Open AccessReview

Aurora B Tension Sensing Mechanisms in the Kinetochore Ensure Accurate Chromosome Segregation

by Shelby L. McVey, Jenna K. Cosby and Natalie J. Nannas

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(16), 8818; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22168818 - 16 Aug 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6115

Abstract

The accurate segregation of chromosomes is essential for the survival of organisms and cells. Mistakes can lead to aneuploidy, tumorigenesis and congenital birth defects. The spindle assembly checkpoint ensures that chromosomes properly align on the spindle, with sister chromatids attached to microtubules from opposite poles. Here, we review how tension is used to identify and selectively destabilize incorrect attachments, and thus serves as a trigger of the spindle assembly checkpoint to ensure fidelity in chromosome segregation. Tension is generated on properly attached chromosomes as sister chromatids are pulled in opposing directions but resisted by centromeric cohesin. We discuss the role of the Aurora B kinase in tension-sensing and explore the current models for translating mechanical force into Aurora B-mediated biochemical signals that regulate correction of chromosome attachments to the spindle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Control of Chromosome Segregation and Stability in Mitosis)

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