FORMIN a link between kinetochores and microtubule ends

The mammalian diaphanous-related (mDia) formin proteins are well known for their actin-nucleation and filament-elongation activities in mediating actin dynamics. They also directly bind to microtubules and regulate microtubule stabilization at the leading edge of the cell during cell migration. Recently, the formin mDia3 was shown to associate with the kinetochore and to contribute to metaphase chromosome alignment, a process in which kinetochores form stable attachments with growing and shrinking microtubules. We suggest that the formin mDia3 could contribute to the regulation of kinetochore-bound microtubule dynamics, in coordination with attachment via its own microtubule-binding activity, as well as via its interaction with the tip-tracker EB1 (end-binding protein 1).