Ordered dephosphorylation initiated by the selective proteolysis of cyclin B drives mitotic exit

Abstract

APC/C-mediated proteolysis of cyclin B and securin promotes entry into anaphase, inactivating CDK1 and permitting chromosome segregation, respectively. Reduction of CDK1 activity relieves inhibition of the CDK1-opposing phosphatases PP1 and PP2A-B55 leading to dephosphorylation of substrates crucial for mitotic exit. Meanwhile, continued APC/C activity is required to target various proteins, including Aurora and Polo kinases, for degradation. Together, these activities orchestrate a complex series of events during mitotic exit. However, the relative importance of regulated proteolysis and dephosphorylation in dictating the order and timing of these events remains unclear. Using high temporal-resolution mass spectrometry, we compare the relative extent of proteolysis and protein dephosphorylation. This reveals highly-selective rapid ([~]5min half-life) proteolysis of cyclin B, securin and geminin at the metaphase to anaphase transition, followed by slow proteolysis (>60 min half-life) of other mitotic regulators. Protein dephosphorylation requires APC/C-dependent destruction of cyclin B and was resolved into PP1-dependent fast, intermediate and slow categories with unique sequence motifs. We conclude that dephosphorylation initiated by the selective proteolysis of cyclin B drives the bulk of changes observed during mitotic exit.