CENP-C-targeted PLK-1 regulates kinetochore function in C. elegans embryos

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK-1) is present in centrosomes, the nuclear envelope and kinetochores and plays a significant role in meiosis and mitosis. PLK-1 depletion or inhibition has severe consequences for spindle assembly, spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) activation, chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. BUB-1 targets PLK-1 to the outer kinetochore and, in mammals, the inner kinetochore PLK1 targeting is mediated by the constitutive centromere associated network (CCAN). BUB-1-targeted PLK-1 plays a key role in SAC activation and has a SAC-independent role through targeting CDC-20. In contrast, whether there is a specific, non-redundant role for inner kinetochore targeted PLK-1 is unknown. Here, we used the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo to study the role of inner kinetochore PLK-1. We found that CENP-C, the sole CCAN component in C. elegans and other species, targets PLK-1 to the inner kinetochore during prometaphase and metaphase. Disruption of the CENP-C-PLK-1 interaction leads to an imbalance in kinetochore components and a defect in chromosome congression, without affecting CDC-20 recruitment. These findings indicate that PLK-1 kinetochore recruitment by CENP-C has at least partially distinct functions from outer kinetochore PLK-1, providing a platform for a better understanding of the different roles played by PLK-1 during mitosis.