05.09.2024 - 11:42:26

Role of protein kinase PLK1 in the epigenetic maintenance of centromes

The latest paper from the Musacchio lab (A02), published in Science, sheds light on how the Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) coordinates the regeneration of the centromeres and the associated protein complex at the end of mitosis. This process is essential for the attachment of mitotic spindle microtubules to chromosomal centromeres and, therefore for the precise separation of chromosomes during cell division. By interacting with numerous proteins, PLK1 first induces phosphorylation of centromere-associated proteins and subsequently binds to the centromere itself. They revealed, that this binding leads to conformational changes that result in the recruitment of the histone H3-like centromeric protein A (CENP-A) and its chaperone Holliday junction recognition protein (HJURP).