Condensin II is required for efficient Spindle Assembly Checkpoint activation in Drosophila male meiosis

Reductional nuclear division in meiosis is essential for diploid life. A fundamental event in meiosis is chromatin condensation, through mechanisms not yet fully understood. Current data suggest that Condensins are key players in building and sustaining mitotic and meiotic chromosome structure. In Drosophila, Condensin II appears to be dispensable for faithful mitosis in somatic tissues yet essential in the germline. Previous work has demonstrated that in Drosophila male meiosis, Condensin II is required for the segregation of homologous chromosomes into distinct territories during prophase I, possibly through the resolution of chromosomal intertwines. Here we show that in addition to this well-established function in meiotic chromatin assembly, Condensin II is required for robust Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) signaling in male meiosis. In the absence of Condensin II, spermatocytes undergo faster meiotic divisions and display reduced ability to prolong meiosis in the presence of spindle poisons. This is attributed to the inability to recruit a key SAC component (Mad1) to the kinetochore. Importantly, we demonstrate that the absence of a robust SAC response in Condensin II mutants, and consequent accelerated meiosis, is a strong contributor to the meiotic defects associated with these mutants. We show that artificial prolongation of meiotic divisions, using conditions that delay anaphase onset in a SAC-independent manner, is sufficient to rescue segregation defects and aneuploidy associated with Condensin II mutations. We therefore conclude that Condensin II can be dispensable for the resolution of topological problems and chromosome condensation if cells are able to prolong meiosis. Yet, the newly found role of this complex in the robustness of the SAC reduces meiotic timing leading to severe chromosome segregation defects.