Imaging Analysis of the Plant Aurora Kinase in Chromosome Dynamics

Abstract

The proper segregation of chromosomes during mitosis is required for accurate distribution of genetic information by two daughter cells. Aurora kinases are serine/threonine protein kinases with essential roles in cell division through eukaryotes. Although functions of animal and yeast Aurora kinases have been analyzed in detail, those of plant Aurora kinases are unknown. Our live cell imaging analyses indicated that the plant Aurora kinase has dual roles; correction of aberrant kinetochore-microtubule attachment and dissociation of cohesin during chromosome alignment and segregation. We also analyzed transgenic plants of Arabidopsis thaliana to express AtAUR3 with tdTomato. AtAUR3 localized around kinetochores of mitotic chromosomes in A. thaliana.