| Description |
Upon entry into mitosis, the cell’s microtubule (MT) network forms the mitotic spindle, allowing the segregation of paired chromosomes. Proteinaceous structures on centromeric chromatin termed kinetochores (KT) are essential for the proper attachment of the chromosomes to the spindle MTs. A recently discovered spindle and kinetochore complex, comprised of proteins SKA1, SKA2, and SKA3, has been found to be required for stable KT-MT interactions and timely anaphase onset. Depletion of either SKA1 or SKA2 by siRNA results in the loss of both proteins from the KT, but does not impact overall KT structure. Cells depleted of the SKA complex undergo a prolonged checkpoint-dependent delay in a metaphase-like state, indicating the importance of the SKA complex in the maintenance of the metaphase plate and spindle checkpoint silencing.
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