Kinetochores get a grip!

Abstract

A new study by Larson and colleagues (2025. J. Cell Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202405176) reveals that kinetochores are biased to bind to microtubule plus-ends due to an interplay between subcomplex organization and the intrinsic polarity of microtubules.

Figure 1.

Kinetochores grip more tightly to microtubule plus-ends than to minus-ends. (A) The Ndc80 complex binds at the surface of microtubules with asymmetric strength: strongly when pulled toward the microtubule plus-end or weakly when pulled toward the microtubule minus-end. (B) Kinetochore–microtubule gripping strength may contribute to the correction of kinetochore attachment errors early in mitosis because it could selectively stabilize those lateral attachments that are about to be converted into correct end-on attachments.