Centromeric (CEN) chromatin is placed under mechanical tension and stretches as kinetochores biorient on the mitotic spindle. This deformation could conceivably provide a readout of biorientation to error correction mechanisms that monitor kinetochore-spindle interactions, but whether CEN chromatin acts in a tensiometer capacity is unresolved. Here, we report observations linking yeast Topoisomerase II (Top2) to both CEN mechanics and assessment of interkinetochore tension. First, in top2-4 and sumoylation-resistant top2-SNM mutants CEN chromatin stretches extensively during biorientation, resulting in increased sister kinetochore separation and preanaphase spindle extension. Our data indicate increased CEN stretching corresponds with alterations to CEN topology induced in response to tension. Second, Top2 potentiates aspects of the tension checkpoint. Mutations affecting the Mtw1 kinetochore protein activate Ipl1 kinase to detach kinetochores and induce spindle checkpoint arrest. In mtw1top2-4 and mtw1top2-SNM mutants, however, kinetochores are resistant to detachment and checkpoint arrest is attenuated. For top2-SNM cells, CEN stretching and checkpoint attenuation occur even in the absence of catenation linking sister chromatids. In sum, Top2 seems to play a novel role in CEN compaction that is distinct from decatenation. Perturbations to this function may allow weakened kinetochores to stretch CENs in a manner that mimics tension or evades Ipl1 surveillance. INTRODUCTIONAccurate chromosome segregation requires that sister kinetochores connect to microtubules from opposing poles of the mitotic spindle, a process known as biorientation. Misaligned kinetochore attachments can also occur, and they must be resolved to prevent lethal chromosome segregation errors or the formation of aneuploid cells. Syntelic attachments arise when sister kinetochores connect to microtubules from the same spindle pole; merotelic attachments result if a single kinetochore attaches to both poles. The Aurora-B kinases, complexed with conserved INCENP/ Sli15 and Survivin/Bir1 subunits of the chromosomal passenger complex, are key regulators of the error correction machinery that resolves such inappropriate attachments (reviewed in Ruchaud et al., 2007). Aurora-B (Ipl1 in budding yeast) facilitates error correction through two mechanisms. First, these kinases destabilize defective kinetochore-microtubule interactions by phosphorylating kinetochore-associated proteins. Second, Ipl1/Aurora-B plays a role in activating the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), both in response to syntelic attachments as well as mutations that affect the kinetochore or sister chromatid cohesion. Checkpoint activation may occur indirectly because Ipl1/Aurora-B creates unoccupied kinetochores (Pinsky et al., 2006) or directly through phosphorylation of SAC regulators (King et al., 2007).The manner in which Ipl1/Aurora-B distinguishes such a wide range of spindle lesions is not well understood. With the exception of merotelic interactions (Cimini, 2007), those att...

Telomere integrity is maintained through end-protection proteins that block nuclease degradation and prevent telomeres from being recognized as DNA breaks. Although less well understood, end protection proteins may also play a role in facilitating telomere replication. Here, we show that overproduction (OP) of the yeast telomere capping protein Stn1 makes cells highly sensitive to the replication inhibitors hydroxyurea (HU) and methyl-methane sulfonate (MMS). Unexpectedly, this sensitivity corresponds with Stn1 OP blocking most, if not all, aspects of the S phase checkpoint. The checkpoint kinase Rad53 is phosphorylated with normal timing in Stn1 OP cells, indicating Stn1 does not interfere with signaling steps involved in activating the checkpoint. Part of the role of Stn1 in telomere integrity is mediated through the Pol12 subunit of DNA polymerase ␣ (Pol␣). We show that overproduced Stn1 generally associates with chromosomes in HU treated and untreated cells, and, remarkably, Stn1 chromosome binding and OP checkpoint defects are rescued in pol12 mutants. We propose Stn1 normally promotes Pol␣ activity at telomeres but can be recruited through Pol12 to nontelomeric sites when overproduced. During replication stress, the mislocalized Stn1 may inappropriately promote Pol␣ in a manner that interferes with Rad53 effector mechanisms controlling replication fork integrity.

In vertebrate cells, DNA topoisomerase II (Topo II), named Top2 in yeast, localizes along chromosome axes early in mitosis and concentrates within centromeric chromatin during metaphase. The factors controlling these changes in enzyme distribution are largely unknown. Insight into Topo II dynamics could potentially be derived through genetic approaches in yeast. In practice, however, the small size and limited compaction of yeast chromosomes has precluded a detailed analysis of Top2 localization along mitotic chromosomes. As an alternative approach, we describe a method for examining Top2 distribution using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). By adding a detergent solubilization step, this method allows efficient recovery of DNA sequences associated with Top2 in the insoluble chromosome scaffold fraction.