Abstracts » Biological sciences

XKCM1: a Xenopus kinesin-related protein that regulates microtubule dynamics during mitotic spindle assembly

Article Abstract:

A protein responsible for regulating the structures of microtubules involved in mitosis was identified suing antibody staining. The protein is produced by a gene derived from the cDNA of Xenopus. The absence of this protein during mitosis causes the formation of microtubules that are longer than is necessary for mitosis, but this effect can be reversed by adding XKCM1 to the cell, pointing to its function in depolymerizing microtubules. In addition, its structure has been identified as similar to the kinesin family of proteins.

Kinesin

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Kinetochore microtubule dynamics and attachment stability are regulated by Hec1

Article Abstract:

A study reports that Ndc80/Hec1 functions in regulating kineto-chore microtubule plus-end dynamics and attachment stability. The N terminus of Hec1 is phosphorylated by Aurora B kinase in vitro, and cells expressing N-terminal nonphosphorylatable mutants of Hec1 display an increase in merotelic attachments, hyper-stretching of centromeres, and errors in chromosome segregation, all of which reveal a key role for the Hec1 N terminus in controlling dynamic behavior of kinetochore microtubules.

Cell cycle

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The conserved KMN network constitutes the core microtubule-binding site of the kinetochore

Article Abstract:

The conserved KNL-1/Mis12 complex/Ndc80 complex (KMN) network, which is essential for kinetochore-microtubule interactions, is examined. The results demonstrate that the Ndc80 complex is a conserved Aurora kinase target and suggest that reduction in its microtubule-binding affinity after phosphorylation of the Ndc80 subunit might contribute to Aurora kinase-dependent elimination of incorrect kinetochore-microtubule attachments in vivo.

Binding sites (Biochemistry), Active sites (Biochemistry), Chromosomes

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