Aurora B controls anaphase onset and error-free chromosome segregation in trypanosomes

Daniel Ballmer, Hua Jane Lou, Midori Ishii, Benjamin E. Turk, Bungo Akiyoshi*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Kinetochores form the interface between chromosomes and spindle microtubules and are thus under tight control by a complex regulatory circuitry. The Aurora B kinase plays a central role within this circuitry by destabilizing improper kinetochore-microtubule attachments and relaying the attachment status to the spindle assembly checkpoint. Intriguingly, Aurora B is conserved even in kinetoplastids, a group of early-branching eukaryotes which possess a unique set of kinetochore proteins. It remains unclear how their kinetochores are regulated to ensure faithful chromosome segregation. Here, we show in Trypanosoma brucei that Aurora B activity controls the metaphase-to-anaphase transition through phosphorylation of the divergent Bub1-like protein KKT14. Depletion of KKT14 overrides the metaphase arrest resulting from Aurora B inhibition, while expression of non-phosphorylatable KKT14 delays anaphase onset. Finally, we demonstrate that re-targeting Aurora B to the outer kinetochore suffices to promote mitotic exit but causes extensive chromosome missegregation in anaphase. Our results indicate that Aurora B and KKT14 are involved in an unconventional circuitry controlling cell cycle progression in trypanosomes.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere202401169
Number of pages25
JournalJournal of Cell Biology
Volume223
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Aug 2024

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