The dependence of shugoshin on Bub1-kinase activity is dispensable for the maintenance of spindle assembly checkpoint response in Cryptococcus neoformans.

During chromosome segregation, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) detects errors in kinetochore-microtubule attachments. Timely activation and maintenance of the SAC until defects are corrected is essential for genome stability. Here, we show that shugoshin (Sgo1), a conserved tension-sensing protein, ensures the maintenance of SAC signals in response to unattached kinetochores during mitosis in a basidiomycete budding yeast Cryptococcus neoformans.

Amino Acid Chirality: Stereospecific Conversion and Physiological Implications.

The absolute configuration dictates the biological role of chiral molecules in the living world. This is best exemplified by all ribosomally synthesized polypeptides having chiral amino acids only in the l-configuration. However, d-amino acids are also associated with various vital biological processes such as peptidoglycan of the bacterial cell wall, ligands for neurotransmitters, molecules involved in signaling, and precursors of metabolites, to name a few.

Functional plasticity in chromosome-microtubule coupling on the evolutionary time scale.

The Dam1 complex is essential for mitotic progression across evolutionarily divergent fungi. Upon analyzing amino acid (aa) sequences of Dad2, a Dam1 complex subunit, we identified a conserved 10-aa-long Dad2 signature sequence (DSS). An arginine residue (R126) in the DSS is essential for viability in that possesses point centromeres.