biostudies-literatureSingh DKDepartment of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology (DBT)Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (Max Planck Society)1543https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12595034biostudies-literatureUnknown8(1)In eukaryotes, chromosome segregation relies on attachment to the spindle, ensured by the kinetochore. The outer kinetochore attaches to the microtubules and is named after three sub-complexes KNL1C, MIS12C, and NDC80C (KMN). While the KMN complex comprises ten proteins in humans S. cerevisiae, its conservation in more distant eukaryotes is unclear. Here, we aimed to define the KMN complex in the plant Arabidopsis using affinity purification and identified thirteen KMN proteins. Seven were previously known to have a conserved function (atMIS12, atNNF1, atNDC80, atSPC24, atSPC25, atNUF2, and atKNL1) and six were uncharacterized. These six proteins show remote similarity to yeast/human KMN-associated proteins, whose homologs have not yet been characterized in plants. We named them atDSN1, atCommunications biologyThe composition and structure of the outer kinetochore KMN complex is conserved across kingdoms.PMC1259503400Re-entry FellowshipNayini ADurand SDe Jaeger GMercier RVan Leene JSingh DKWalkemeier BGuerois RfalseThe composition and structure of the outer kinetochore KMN complex is conserved across kingdoms.In eukaryotes, chromosome segregation relies on attachment to the spindle, ensured by the kinetochore. The outer kinetochore attaches to the microtubules and is named after three sub-complexes KNL1C, MIS12C, and NDC80C (KMN). While the KMN complex comprises ten proteins in humans S. cerevisiae, its conservation in more distant eukaryotes is unclear. Here, we aimed to define the KMN complex in the plant Arabidopsis using affinity purification and identified thirteen KMN proteins. Seven were previously known to have a conserved function (atMIS12, atNNF1, atNDC80, atSPC24, atSPC25, atNUF2, and atKNL1) and six were uncharacterized. These six proteins show remote similarity to yeast/human KMN-associated proteins, whose homologs have not yet been characterized in plants. We named them atDSN1, at2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Nov2026-07-15T11:20:50.076Z2026-07-04T03:11:21.694ZS-EPMC125950344120388110.1038/s42003-025-09120-6