Condensin and Repo-Man–PP1 co-operate in the regulation of chromosome architecture during mitosis

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Abstract
The reversible condensation of chromosomes during cell division remains a classic problem in cell biology. Condensation requires the condensin complex1 in certain experimental systems2,3,4,5,6,7,8, but not in many others9,10,11,12,13,14,15. Anaphase chromosome segregation almost always fails in condensin-depleted cells, leading to the formation of prominent chromatin bridges and cytokinesis failure4,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17. Here, live-cell analysis of chicken DT40 cells bearing a conditional knockout of condensin subunit SMC2 revealed that condensin-depleted chromosomes abruptly lose their compact architecture during anaphase and form massive chromatin bridges. The compact chromosome structure can be preserved and anaphase chromosome segregation rescued by preventing the targeting subunit Repo-Man from recruiting protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) to chromatin at anaphase onset. This study identifies an activity critical for mitotic chromosome structure that is inactivated by Repo-Man–PP1 during anaphase. This activity, provisionally termed 'regulator of chromosome architecture' (RCA), cooperates with condensin to preserve the characteristic chromosome architecture during mitosis.

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