CCAN Makes Multiple Contacts with Centromeric DNA to Provide Distinct Pathways to the Outer Kinetochore

Tetsuya Hori, Miho Amano, Aussie Suzuki, Chelsea B Backer, Julie P Welburn, Yimin Dong, Bruce F McEwen, Wei-Hao Shang, Emiko Suzuki, Katsuya Okawa, Iain M Cheeseman, Tatsuo Fukagawa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Kinetochore specification and assembly requires the targeted deposition of specialized nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A at centromeres. However, CENP-A is not sufficient to drive full-kinetochore assembly, and it is not clear how centromeric chromatin is established. Here, we identify CENP-W as a component of the DNA-proximal constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN) of proteins. We demonstrate that CENP-W forms a DNA-binding complex together with the CCAN component CENP-T. This complex directly associates with nucleosomal DNA and with canonical histone H3, but not with CENP-A, in centromeric regions. CENP-T/CENP-W functions upstream of other CCAN components with the exception of CENP-C, an additional putative DNA-binding protein. Our analysis indicates that CENP-T/CENP-W and CENP-C provide distinct pathways to connect the centromere with outer kinetochore assembly. In total, our results suggest that the CENP-T/CENP-W complex is directly involved in establishment of centromere chromatin structure coordinately with CENP-A.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1039-1052
Number of pages14
JournalCell
Volume135
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2008

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • DNA
  • CELLBIO

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'CCAN Makes Multiple Contacts with Centromeric DNA to Provide Distinct Pathways to the Outer Kinetochore'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this