Aurora-B kinase as a possible sensor of tension in meiosis.

Abstract

Aurora-B kinase is the active subunit of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), and is believed to regulate kinetochore-microtubule attachments during mitosis in a tension based manner. With correct allignment of all sister chromatids during metaphase, the kinase is physically separated from its substrates and can therefore no longer destabilize attachments in yeast. Anaphase will then be initiated, after checkpoint complex APC/cdc20 is silenced. During meiosis I, not the sister-chromatids, but the homologous chromosomes are separated, which makes it impossible for Aurora-B to act in a similar way as it does between sister-chromatids in mitosis. Nevertheless, it is localized to meiotic metaphase inner-centromeres, and a tension based model seems to be necessary to successfully proceed through the first meiotic division. In this thesis it is questioned how likely it is for Aurora-B to have a similar function in meiosis I compared to mitosis.