THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE MAMMALIAN KINETOCHORE

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The mammalian kinetochore is a proteineous complex that performs four vital functions during mitosis: 1) attaching chromosomes to the mitotic spindle; 2) controlling the dynamics of kinetochore microtubules; 3) generating force for chromosome alignment; and 4) generating a cell cycle checkpoint that delays anaphase onset until all chromosomes are attached to the mitotic spindle and aligned at the spindle equator. Intricate interactions between kinetochores and microtubules (MTs) are essential for all of these vital processes. Despite rapid progress in identifying molecular components of the kinetochore, understanding of the underlying mechanisms of kinetochore function and its interactions with microtubules is just beginning to unfold. Results from tomographic reconstructions and serial section electron microscopy are playing a significant part in deducing the function of key molecular components such as the Hec1 (Ndc80) complex.