Captivating capture: how microtubules attach to kinetochores

Abstract

Accurate chromosome segregation is essential to ensure genomic stability because the aneuploidy that results from segregation errors leads to birth defects and contributes to the development of cancer. Chromosome segregation is directed by the kinetochore, the chromosomal site of attachment to dynamic polymers called microtubules (MTs). Although the fidelity of chromosome segregation depends on precise interactions between kinetochores and MTs, it is still unclear how this interaction is mediated and regulated. Here we discuss current progress in determining how kinetochores assemble and attach to MTs during mitosis as well as how they correct errors.