Abstract
The kinetochore is the proteinaceous complex that governs the movement of duplicated chromosomes by interacting with spindle microtubules during mitosis and meiosis. Faithful chromosome segregation requires that kinetochores form robust load-bearing attachments to the tips of dynamic spindle microtubules, correct microtubule attachment errors, and delay the onset of anaphase until all chromosomes have made proper attachments. To understand how this macromolecular machine operates to segregate duplicated chromosomes with exquisite accuracy, it is critical to reconstitute and study kinetochore–microtubule interactions in vitro using defined components. Here, we review the current status of reconstitution as well as recent progress in understanding the microtubule-binding functions of kinetochores in vivo.
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References
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Acknowledgments
We thank Chip Asbury for critically reading the manuscript. B.A. was supported by postdoctoral fellowships from the EMBO and Human Frontier Science Program. S.B. was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (GM078069 and GM064386).
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Akiyoshi, B., Biggins, S. Reconstituting the kinetochore–microtubule interface: what, why, and how. Chromosoma 121, 235–250 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00412-012-0362-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00412-012-0362-0