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Molecular and Cellular Biology, October 2002, p. 7168-7183, Vol. 22, No. 20
0270-7306/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/MCB.22.20.7168-7183.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Mal2p Protein Is an Essential Component of the Fission Yeast Centromere

Quan-Wen Jin,1,{dagger} Alison L. Pidoux,2,{ddagger} Corina Decker,1 Robin C. Allshire,2,{ddagger} and Ursula Fleig1*

Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany,1 Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom2

Received 7 May 2002/ Returned for modification 1 July 2002/ Accepted 11 July 2002

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.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. Phone: 49 211 8111581 Fax: 49 211 8113567. E-mail: fleigu{at}uni-duesseldorf.de.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605.

{ddagger} Present address: Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, ICMB, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, United Kingdom.

Molecular and Cellular Biology, October 2002, p. 7168-7183, Vol. 22, No. 20
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/MCB.22.20.7168-7183.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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