Dynactin is involved in a checkpoint to monitor cell wall synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Checkpoint controls ensure the completion of cell cycle events with high fidelity in the correct order. Here we show the existence of a novel checkpoint that ensures coupling of cell wall synthesis and mitosis. In response to a defect in cell wall synthesis, S. cerevisiae cells arrest the cell-cycle before spindle pole body separation. This arrest results from the regulation of the M-phase cyclin Clb2p at the transcriptional level through the transcription factor Fkh2p. Components of the dynactin complex are required to achieve the G2 arrest whilst keeping cells highly viable. Thus, the dynactin complex has a function in a checkpoint that monitors cell wall synthesis.