title: The mal2p protein is an essential component of the fission yeast centromere.
abstract: Precise segregation of chromosomes requires the activity of a specialized chromatin region, the centromere, that assembles the kinetochore complex to mediate the association with spindle microtubules. We show here that Mal2p, previously identified as a protein required for genome stability, is an essential component of the fission yeast centromere. Loss of functional Mal2p leads to extreme missegregation of chromosomes due to nondisjunction of sister chromatids and results in inviable cells. Mal2p associates specifically with the central region of the complex fission yeast centromere, where it is required for the specialized chromatin architecture as well as for transcriptional silencing of this region. Genetic evidence indicates that mal2(+) interacts with mis12(+), encoding another component of the inner centromere core complex. In addition, Mal2p is required for correct metaphase spindle length. Our data imply that the Mal2p protein is required to build up a functional fission yeast centromere.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Quan-Wen
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pidoux
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Robin C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Allshire
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fleig
mesh_terms: D064173:Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002503:Centromere / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002842:Chromatids; D002843:Chromatin; D020090:Chromosome Segregation; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008025:Ligases; D064246:Mad2 Proteins; D008677:Metaphase; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009630:Nondisjunction, Genetic; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D043743:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D064246:Mad2 Proteins; C102110:Mal2 protein, S pombe; C108851:Mal3 protein, S pombe; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; C432090:alp14 protein, S pombe; C094879:dis1 protein, S pombe; C577696:mad2 protein, S pombe; C492315:mis12 protein, S pombe; D043743:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes; D064173:Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome; D008025:Ligases