Two-hybrid reporter vectors for gap repair cloning.

Yeast two-hybrid analysis is a valuable approach to the discovery and characterization of protein interactions. We have developed vectors that can indicate the presence of an insert when used in two-hybrid bait and prey construction by gap repair cloning. The strategy uses a recombination cloning site flanked by sequences encoding the GAL4 activation and binding domains.

The telomere repeat binding protein Trf1 interacts with the spindle checkpoint protein Mad1 and Nek2 mitotic kinase.

The mitotic spindle checkpoint arrests cells in metaphase until all kinetochores are correctly attached to spindle fibres. In a search for new components of the spindle checkpoint, based on protein interaction, we have identified mouse Telomeric Repeat Binding Factor 1 (Trf1) as a protein that interacts directly with the spindle checkpoint protein Mad1 and the mitotic kinase Nek2. Trf1 has a role in the regulation of telomere length, but has also been implicated in cell cycle regulation.