Dina Finan , Grad Student

Kinetochores are the interaction site for the bipolar attachment of mitotic chromosomes to spindle microtubules. Kinetochores are also responsible for generating a checkpoint signal to prevent entry into anaphase until all chromosomes have successfully attached. Two kinetochore proteins, the kinesin CENP-E and the BubR1 kinase, are required for checkpoint activation through their direct interaction. I am interested in performing detailed biochemical analyses on purified CENP-E and BubR1 to understand how they function in complex, and how they participate in the generation of the checkpoint signal that arrests the cell cycle. Specifically, I hope to understand how their interaction regulates both