Kif18A and chromokinesins confine centromere movements via microtubule growth suppression and spatial control of kinetochore tension.

ABSTRACT: Alignment of chromosomes at the metaphase plate is a signature of cell division in metazoan cells, yet the mechanisms controlling this process remain ambiguous. Here we use a combination of quantitative live-cell imaging and reconstituted dynamic microtubule assays to investigate the molecular control of mitotic centromere movements. We establish that Kif18A (kinesin-8) attenuates centromere movement by directly promoting microtubule pausing in a concentration-dependent manner. This activity provides the dominant mechanism for restricting centromere movement to the spindle midzone. Furthermore, polar ejection forces spatially confine chromosomes via position-dependent regulation of kinetochore tension and centromere switch rates. We demonstrate that polar ejection forces are antagonistical

SUBMITTER: Stumpff J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3356572 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature