Crosstalk Between Microtubule Attachment Complexes Ensures Accurate Chromosome Segregation

Abstract

Dissecting Chromosome Segregation During cell division, the centromere regions of chromosomes assemble multiprotein organelles called kinetochores that form attachments to spindle microtubules. Working in Caenorhabditis elegans , Cheerambathur et al. (p. 1239 , published online 14 November) describe a mechanism controlling the formation of kinetochore-spindle microtubule attachments that is essential for accurate chromosome segregation. The findings suggest the existence of crosstalk between the two major protein complexes involved in forming spindle microtubule attachments: the kinetochore dynein module, which initially captures spindle microtubules, and the Ndc80 complex, which ultimately forms the dynamic end-coupled attachments that segregate chromosomes.