Discussion

Faithful transmission of genetic material is essential for the survival of all organisms. Eukaryotic chromosome segregation is driven by the kinetochore, the macromolecular protein complex that assembles onto centromeric DNA and captures spindle microtubules during mitosis and meiosis. We recently identified 20 kinetochore proteins in Trypanosoma brucei and discovered that they constitute kinetochores unique to kinetoplastids. We are currently characterizing these 20 proteins in vitro and in vivo to understand how they carry out conserved kinetochore functions.