Tubulins play crucial roles in cell division, intracellular traffic, and cell shape. Tubulin concentration is autoregulated by feedback control of messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation via an unknown mechanism. We identified tetratricopeptide protein 5 (TTC5) as a tubulin-specific ribosome-associating factor that triggers cotranslational degradation of tubulin mRNAs in response to excess soluble tubulin. Structural analysis revealed that TTC5 binds near the ribosome exit tunnel and engages the amino terminus of nascent tubulins. TTC5 mutants incapable of ribosome or nascent tubulin interaction abolished tubulin autoregulation and showed chromosome segregation defects during mitosis. Our findings show how a subset of mRNAs can be targeted for coordinated degradation by a specificity factor that recognizes the nascent polypeptides they encode.

Kinetochores are the central force-generating machines that move chromosomes during cell division. It is generally assumed that kinetochores move in an autonomous manner. However, we reveal here that movements of neighboring sister-kinetochore pairs in metaphase are correlated in a distance-dependent manner. This correlation increases in the absence of kinetochore oscillations or stable end-on attachments. This suggests that periodic movements of bioriented chromosomes limit the correlated motion of nonsisters. Computer simulations show that these correlated movements can occur when elastic crosslinks are placed between the K-fibers of oscillating kinetochores. Strikingly, inhibition of the microtubule crosslinking motor kinesin-5 Eg5 leads to an increase in nonsister correlation and impairs periodic oscillations. These phenotypes are partially rescued by codepletion of the kinesin-12 Kif15, demonstrating a function for kinesin-5 and kinesin-12 motors in driving chromosome movements, possibly as part of a crosslinking structure that correlates the movements of nonsister kinetochores.

The Ska complex is crucial for kinetochore–microtubule stability and is a substrate of Aurora B, master regulator of kinetochore–microtubule attachment dynamics. Here, Redli et al. show that Ska promotes Aurora B activity to limit its own microtubule and kinetochore association and ensure proper chromosome biorientation and segregation.