Fission yeast ch-TOG/XMAP215 homologue Alp14 connects mitotic spindles with the kinetochore and is a component of the Mad2-dependent spindle checkpoint.

The TOG/XMAP215-related proteins play a role in microtubule dynamics at its plus end. Fission yeast Alp14, a newly identified TOG/XMAP215 family protein, is essential for proper chromosome segregation in concert with a second homologue Dis1. We show that the alp14 mutant fails to progress towards normal bipolar spindle formation. Intriguingly, Alp14 itself is a component of the Mad2-dependent spindle checkpoint cascade, as upon addition of microtubule-destabilizing drugs the alp14 mutant is incapable of maintaining high H1 kinase activity, which results in securin destruction and premature chromosome separation. Live imaging of Alp14-green fluorescent protein shows that during mitosis, Alp14 is associated with the peripheral region of the kinetochores as well as with the spindle poles. This is supported by ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) and overlapping localization with the kinetochore marker Mis6. An intact spindle is required for Alp14 localization to the kinetochore periphery, but not to the poles. These results indicate that the TOG/XMAP215 family may play a central role as a bridge between the kinetochores and the plus end of pole to chromosome microtubules.