Quantitative fluorescence and superresolution microscopy are often limited by insufficient data quality or artifacts. In this context, it is essential to have biologically relevant control samples to benchmark and optimize the quality of microscopes, labels and imaging conditions. Users may view, print, copy, and download text and data-mine the content in such documents, for the purposes of academic research, subject always to the full Conditions of use:

Human chromosomes are captured along microtubule walls (lateral attachment) and then tethered to microtubule-ends (end-on attachment) through a multi-step end-on conversion process. Upstream regulators that orchestrate this remarkable change in the plane of kinetochore-microtubule attachment in human cells are not known. By tracking kinetochore movements and using kinetochore markers specific to attachment status, we reveal a spatially defined role for Aurora-B kinase in retarding the end-on conversion process. To understand how Aurora-B activity is counteracted, we compare the roles of two outer-kinetochore bound phosphatases and find that BubR1-associated PP2A, unlike KNL1-associated PP1, plays a significant role in end-on conversion. Finally, we uncover a novel role for Aurora-B regulated Astrin-SKAP complex in ensuring the correct plane of kinetochore-microtubule attachment. Thus, we identify Aurora-B as a key upstream regulator of end-on conversion in human cells and establish a late role for Astrin-SKAP complex in the end-on conversion process.

Quantitative fluorescence and superresolution microscopy are often limited by insufficient data quality or artifacts. In this context, it is essential to have biologically relevant control samples to benchmark and optimize the quality of microscopes, labels and imaging conditions.Here we exploit the stereotypic arrangement of proteins in the nuclear pore complex as in situ reference structures to characterize the performance of a variety of microscopy modalities. We created four genome edited cell lines in which we endogenously labeled the nucleoporin Nup96 with mEGFP, SNAP-tag or HaloTag or the photoconvertible fluorescent protein mMaple. We demonstrate their use a) as 3D resolution standards for calibration and quality control, b) to quantify absolute labeling efficiencies and c) as precise reference standards for molecular counting.These cell lines will enable the broad community to assess the quality of their microscopes and labels, and to perform quantitative, absolute measurements.

Proper chromosome segregation is crucial for cell division. In eukaryotes, this is achieved by the kinetochore, an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex that physically links the DNA to spindle microtubules and takes an active role in monitoring and correcting erroneous spindle–chromosome attachments. Our mechanistic understanding of these functions and how they ensure an error-free outcome of mitosis is still limited, partly because we lack a complete understanding of the kinetochore structure in the cell. In this study, we use single-molecule localization microscopy to visualize individual kinetochore complexes in situ in budding yeast. For major kinetochore proteins, we measured their abundance and position within the metaphase kinetochore. Based on this comprehensive dataset, we propose a quantitative model of the budding yeast kinetochore. While confirming many aspects of previous reports based on bulk imaging, our results present a unifying nanoscale model of the kinetochore in budding yeast.