During mitosis, the genome is transformed from a decondensed, transcriptionally active state to a highly condensed, transcriptionally inactive state. Mitotic chromosome reorganization is marked by the general attenuation of transcription on chromosome arms, yet how the cell regulates nuclear and chromatin-associated RNAs after chromosome condensation and nuclear envelope breakdown is unknown. SAF-A/hnRNPU is an abundant nuclear protein with RNA-to-DNA tethering activity, coordinated by two spatially distinct nucleic acid–binding domains. Here we show that RNA is evicted from prophase chromosomes through Aurora-B–dependent phosphorylation of the SAF-A DNA-binding domain; failure to execute this pathway leads to accumulation of SAF-A–RNA complexes on mitotic chromosomes, defects in metaphase chromosome alignment, and elevated rates of chromosome missegregation in anaphase. This work reveals a role for Aurora-B in removing chromatin-associated RNAs during prophase and demonstrates that Aurora-B–dependent relocalization of SAF-A during cell division contributes to the fidelity of chromosome segregation.
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2 November 2020
Article|
October 08 2020
Cell division requires RNA eviction from condensing chromosomes
Judith A. Sharp
,
Judith A. Sharp
Can you please add the ORCID (0000-0001-7441-6218) for Judith Sharp? The Fetch ORCID link is not working.
1
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Carlos Perea-Resa
,
Carlos Perea-Resa
1
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Wei Wang
,
Wei Wang
1
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Michael D. Blower
1
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Correspondence to Michael D. Blower: mblower@bu.edu
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Judith A. Sharp
Can you please add the ORCID (0000-0001-7441-6218) for Judith Sharp? The Fetch ORCID link is not working.
1
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Carlos Perea-Resa
1
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Wei Wang
1
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Michael D. Blower
1
Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
2
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Correspondence to Michael D. Blower: mblower@bu.edu
The present address of J.A. Sharp, C. Perea-Resa, W. Wang, and M.D. Blower is Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
Received:
October 21 2019
Revision Received:
August 21 2020
Accepted:
August 31 2020
Online Issn: 1540-8140
Print Issn: 0021-9525
Funding:
National Institutes of Health
(1S10 RR031563-01, GM122893)
© 2020 Sharp et al.
2020
This article is distributed under the terms of an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike–No Mirror Sites license for the first six months after the publication date (see http://www.rupress.org/terms/). After six months it is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 4.0 International license, as described at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
J Cell Biol (2020) 219 (11): e201910148.
Article history
Received:
October 21 2019
Revision Received:
August 21 2020
Accepted:
August 31 2020
Connected Content
Citation
Judith A. Sharp, Carlos Perea-Resa, Wei Wang, Michael D. Blower; Cell division requires RNA eviction from condensing chromosomes. J Cell Biol 2 November 2020; 219 (11): e201910148. doi: https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201910148
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