Mitotic progression, arrest, exit or death is determined by centromere integrity and independent of de novo transcription

Recent studies have challenged the prevailing dogma that transcription is repressed during mitosis. Transcription was also proposed to sustain the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) for several hours in response to unattached kinetochores. Here we used live-cell imaging of human cells in culture, combined with RNA-seq and qPCR, to investigate the requirement for de novo transcription during mitosis. Under conditions of persistently unattached kinetochores, transcription inhibition with actinomycin D, or treatment with other DNA-intercalating drugs, delocalized the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) protein Aurora B from centromeres, compromising SAC robustness and cell fate. However, we were unable to detect significant changes in transcript levels. Moreover, inhibition of transcription independently of DNA intercalation had no effect on SAC response, mitotic progression, exit or death. Mechanistically, we show that DNA intercalating agents reduce the interaction of the CPC with nucleosomes. Thus, the capacity of human cells to progress, sustain, exit or die in mitosis relies on centromere integrity, rather than de novo transcription.