Kinetochore attachment to spindle microtubule plus-ends is necessary for accurate chromosome segregation during cell division in all eukaryotes. The centromeric DNA of each chromosome is linked to microtubule plus-ends by eight structural-protein complexes [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] . Knowing the copy number of each of these complexes at one kinetochore-microtubule attachment site is necessary to understand the molecular architecture of the complex, and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying kinetochore function. We have counted, with molecular accuracy, the number of structural protein complexes in a single kinetochore-microtubule attachment using quantitative fluorescence microscopy of GFPtagged kinetochore proteins in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that relative to the two Cse4p molecules in the centromeric histone 1 , the copy number ranges from one or two for inner kinetochore proteins such as Mif2p 2 , to 16 for the 9 at the kinetochoremicrotubule interface. These counts allow us to visualize the overall arrangement of a kinetochoremicrotubule attachment. As most of the budding yeast kinetochore proteins have homologues in higher eukaryotes, including humans, this molecular arrangement is likely to be replicated in more complex kinetochores that have multiple microtubule attachments.Accurate segregation of sister chromosomes during mitosis depends on the assembly of structural proteins at the kinetochore that link spindle microtubule plus-ends to centromeric DNA (CEN DNA). The structural arrangement of these proteins within the kinetochore underlies its function in force generation. It may also influence how the spindle assembly checkpoint senses kinetochore-microtubule attachment, and how errors in attachment are corrected to prevent chromosome mis-segregation. Although serial-section transmission electron microscopy has revealed the overall three-dimensional architecture of vertebrate kinetochores, the structure of individual kinetochore-microtubule attachment remains poorly characterized. Consequently, a mechanistic model of kinetochore function that integrates the details of its structure cannot currently be constructed. To understand the molecular architecture of a kinetochore-microtubule attachment site, we focused on counting the copy number for the core structural kinetochore proteins and protein complexes that are necessary for stable kinetochore-microtubule attachment. COMPETING FINANCIAL INTERESTSThe authors declare that they have no competing financial interests. Localization of antibodies to Ndc80 in vertebrate cells suggests that the Ndc80p-Nuf2p end of the NDC80 complex localizes proximal to the microtubule attachment site, whereas the other end localizes proximal to the inner centromere7 , 15. In budding yeast, the NDC80 complex and the microtubule associated protein complex, DAM-DASH, are both necessary for microtubule attachment10 , 11. The DAM-DASH complex is a heterodecamer and contains the protein Ask1p. Purified DAM-DASH complexes assemble into rings aro...

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae the mitotic spindle must be positioned along the mother-bud axis to activate the mitotic exit network (MEN) in anaphase. To examine MEN proteins during mitotic exit, we imaged the MEN activators Tem1p and Cdc15p and the MEN regulator Bub2p in vivo. Quantitative live cell fluorescence microscopy demonstrated the spindle pole body that segregated into the daughter cell (dSPB) signaled mitotic exit upon penetration into the bud. Activation of mitotic exit was associated with an increased abundance of Tem1p-GFP and the localization of Cdc15p-GFP on the dSPB. In contrast, Bub2p-GFP fluorescence intensity decreased in mid-to-late anaphase on the dSPB. Therefore, MEN protein localization fluctuates to switch from Bub2p inhibition of mitotic exit to Cdc15p activation of mitotic exit. The mechanism that elevates Tem1p-GFP abundance in anaphase is specific to dSPB penetration into the bud and Dhc1p and Lte1p promote Tem1p-GFP localization. Finally, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements revealed Tem1p-GFP is dynamic at the dSPB in late anaphase. These data suggest spindle pole penetration into the bud activates mitotic exit, resulting in Tem1p and Cdc15p persistence at the dSPB to initiate the MEN signal cascade.

Anteroposterior polarity in early C. elegans embryos is required for the specification of somatic and germline lineages, and is initiated by a sperm-induced reorganization of the cortical cytoskeleton and PAR polarity proteins. Through mechanisms that are not understood, the kinases PAR-1 and PAR-4, and other PAR proteins cause the cytoplasmic zinc finger protein MEX-5 to accumulate asymmetrically in the anterior half of the one-cell embryo. We show that MEX-5 asymmetry requires neither vectorial transport to the anterior, nor protein degradation in the posterior. MEX-5 has a restricted mobility before fertilization and in the anterior of one-cell embryos. However, MEX-5 mobility in the posterior increases as asymmetry develops, presumably allowing accumulation in the anterior. The MEX-5 zinc fingers and a small, C-terminal domain are essential for asymmetry; the zinc fingers restrict MEX-5 mobility, and the C-terminal domain is required for the increase in posterior mobility. We show that a crucial residue in the C-terminus, Ser 458, is phosphorylated in vivo. PAR-1 and PAR-4 kinase activities are required for the phosphorylation of S458, providing a link between PAR polarity proteins and the cytoplasmic asymmetry of MEX-5.

We conclude that phosphorylation of Dam1 residues S218 and S221 by Mps1 is required for efficient coupling of kinetochores to MT plus ends. We find that efficient plus-end coupling is not required for (1) maintenance of chromosome biorientation, (2) maintenance of tension between sister kinetochores, or (3) chromosome segregation.

Rho GTPases are important regulators of polarity in eukaryotic cells. In yeast they are involved in regulating the docking and fusion of secretory vesicles with the cell surface. Our analysis of a Rho3 mutant that is unable to interact with the Exo70 subunit of the exocyst reveals a normal polarization of the exocyst complex as well as other polarity markers. We also find that there is no redundancy between the Rho3–Exo70 and Rho1–Sec3 pathways in the localization of the exocyst. This suggests that Rho3 and Cdc42 act to polarize exocytosis by activating the exocytic machinery at the membrane without the need to first recruit it to sites of polarized growth. Consistent with this model, we find that the ability of Rho3 and Cdc42 to hydrolyze GTP is not required for their role in secretion. Moreover, our analysis of the Sec3 subunit of the exocyst suggests that polarization of the exocyst may be a consequence rather than a cause of polarized exocytosis.