Structural basis for microtubule recognition by the human kinetochore Ska complex

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3964
PMID: 24413531

Authors: Maria Alba Abad (University of Edinburgh) , Bethan Medina (University of Edinburgh) , Anna Santamaria (University of Basel) , Juan Zou (University of Edinburgh) , Carla Plasberg-Hill (University of Edinburgh) , Arumugam Madhumalar (National Institute of Immunology (India)) , Uma Jayachandran (University of Edinburgh) , Patrick Marc Redli (University of Basel) , Juri Rappsilber (University of Edinburgh) , Erich A. Nigg (University of Basel) , Jeyaprakash Arulanandam (University of Edinburgh)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Nature Communications , VOL 5

State: Published (Approved)
Published: January 2014
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 7613 , 9487

Abstract: The ability of kinetochores (KTs) to maintain stable attachments to dynamic microtubule structures (‘straight’ during microtubule polymerization and ‘curved’ during microtubule depolymerization) is an essential requirement for accurate chromosome segregation. Here we show that the kinetochore-associated Ska complex interacts with tubulin monomers via the carboxy-terminal winged-helix domain of Ska1, providing the structural basis for the ability to bind both straight and curved microtubule structures. This contrasts with the Ndc80 complex, which binds straight microtubules by recognizing the dimeric interface of tubulin. The Ska1 microtubule-binding domain interacts with tubulins using multiple contact sites that allow the Ska complex to bind microtubules in multiple modes. Disrupting either the flexibility or the tubulin contact sites of the Ska1 microtubule-binding domain perturbs normal mitotic progression, explaining the critical role of the Ska complex in maintaining a firm grip on dynamic microtubules.

Subject Areas: Biology and Bio-materials, Chemistry


Instruments: I02-Macromolecular Crystallography

Added On: 24/09/2015 17:14

Documents:
ncomms3964.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Non-Communicable Diseases Health & Wellbeing Cancer Biochemistry Chemistry Structural biology Life Sciences & Biotech

Technical Tags:

Diffraction Macromolecular Crystallography (MX)