A guiding torch at the poles: the multiple roles of spindle microtubule-organizing centers during cell division

Abstract

The spindle constitutes the cellular machinery that enables the segregation of the chromosomes during eukaryotic cell division. The microtubules that form this fascinating and complex genome distribution system emanate from specialized structures located at both its poles and known as microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs). Beyond their structural function, the spindle MTOCs play fundamental roles in cell cycle control, the activation and functionality of the mitotic checkpoints and during cellular aging. This review highlights the pivotal importance of spindle-associated MTOCs in multiple cellular processes and their central role as key regulatory hubs where diverse intracellular signals are integrated and coordinated to ensure the successful completion of cell division and the maintenance of the replicative lifespan.

Moonlighting at the Poles: Non-Canonical Functions of Centrosomes

“…In recent years, an emerging body of evidence support non-canonical roles for centrosomes/SPBs in coordination of signal transduction events ( Rincón and Monje-Casas, 2020 ). Indeed, in response to stimuli and cell cycle cues, kinases with functions unrelated to MTOC activity become transiently enriched at centrosomes/SPBs in a manner that is both necessary and sufficient to promote downstream signaling events.…”

Characterization of a novel interaction of the Nup159 nucleoporin with asymmetrically localized spindle pole body proteins and its link with autophagy

“…The MTOCs, named centrosomes in mammalian cells and spindle pole bodies (SPBs) in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are fundamental players in the regulation of cell division [1]. Besides their essential role in genome distribution, centrosomes and SPBs are platforms where many cell signaling pathways converge to regulate different aspects of mitotic progression [2]. In this way, most constituents of the mitotic exit network (MEN), a signaling cascade that triggers exit from mitosis in S. cerevisiae, are localized to the SPBs [3].…”