The Aspergillus nidulans CENP-E kinesin motor KipA interacts with the fungal homologue of the centromere-associated protein CENP-H at the kinetochore

Chromosome segregation is an essential process for nuclear and cell division. The microtubule cytoskeleton, molecular motors and protein complexes at the microtubule plus ends and at kinetochores play crucial roles in the segregation process. Here we identified KatA (KipAtarget protein, homologue of CENP-H) as a kinesin-7 (KipA, homologue of human CENP-E) interacting protein in Aspergillus nidulans. KatA located at the kinetochore during the whole cell cycle and colocalized with KipA and partially with the putative microtubule polymerase AlpA (XMAP215) during mitosis. Deletion of katA was lethal at 37°C and caused severe growth and morphology defects at room temperature. KipA was shown before to play an important role in growth directionality determination and our new results suggest a second function of KipA in the interaction between the microtubule plus ends and the kinetochores during mitosis.