QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

Vol. 15, Issue 11, 5187-5196, November 2004

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Material All Versions of this Article: E04-06-0486v1 15/11/5187    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stear, J. H. Articles by Roth, M. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stear, J. H. Articles by Roth, M. B.

The Caenorhabditis elegans Kinetochore Reorganizes at Prometaphase and in Response to Checkpoint Stimuli

Jeffrey H. Stear ^*  , and Mark B. Roth ^* 

^* Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195

Submitted June 14, 2004; Revised August 23, 2004; Accepted September 2, 2004
Monitoring Editor: Joseph Gall

Previous studies of the kinetochore in mammalian systems have demonstrated that this structure undergoes reorganizations after microtubule attachment or in response to activation of the spindle checkpoint. Here, we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans kinetochore displays analogous rearrangements at prometaphase, when microtubule/chromosome interactions are being established, and after exposure to checkpoint stimuli such as nocodazole or anoxia. These reorganizations are characterized by a dissociation of several kinetochore proteins, including HCP-1/CeCENP-F, HIM-10/CeNuf2, SAN-1/CeMad3, and CeBUB-1, from the centromere. We further demonstrate that at metaphase, despite having dissociated from the centromere, these reorganized kinetochore proteins maintain their associations with the metaphase plate. After checkpoint activation, these proteins are detectable as large "flares" that project out laterally from the metaphase plate. Disrupting these gene products via RNA interference results in sensitivity to checkpoint stimuli, as well as defects in the organization of chromosomes at metaphase. These phenotypes suggest that these proteins, and by extension their reorganization during mitosis, are important for mediating the checkpoint response as well as directing the assembly of the metaphase plate.

The online version of this article contains supplementary material accessible through http://www.molbiolcell.org.

Present address: Max-Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01309 Dresden, Germany.

Corresponding author. E-mail address: mroth{at}fhcrc.org.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Tarailo, S. Tarailo, and A. M. Rose Synthetic Lethal Interactions Identify Phenotypic "Interologs" of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Components Genetics, December 1, 2007; 177(4): 2525 - 2530. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. V. Holt, M. A. S. Vergnolle, D. Hussein, M. J. Wozniak, V. J. Allan, and S. S. Taylor Silencing Cenp-F weakens centromeric cohesion, prevents chromosome alignment and activates the spindle checkpoint J. Cell Sci., October 15, 2005; 118(20): 4889 - 4900. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]