The Study of Loss of Mitochondrial Membrane Protein mgr2 Gene Results in Changes of Cell Dynamics in Fission Yeast

The mgr2 gene encodes an important transmembrane protein in mitochondria, which plays an important role in cell growth and survival. The model of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and the live cell imaging was used to explore the effect of mgr2 gene deletion on cell dynamics in mitosis. The results showed that the deletion of mgr2 gene would cause the number and length of microtubules abnormality and affect microtubule dynamics at interphase. At the same time, spindle microtubule dynamics were different in mgr2 Δ cells compared with wild type cells. Spindle length statistics showed that there was delayed spindle breakage in mgr2 Δ cells. The mgr2 gene deletion can also affect the spindle growth rate in the metaphase，metaphase time and anaphase time. Live-cell imaging were performed on mutant strains to observe two distinct chromosome behaviors: normal and lagging. In addition, there was abnormal spindle breakage. It is concluded that the loss of mgr2 gene from mitochondria caused abnormal cell mitosis, which would contribute to the spindle maintenance deficiency, chromosome segregation deficiency, spindle breakage deficiency.