Mitotic phosphorylation of histone H3 is governed by IpI1/aurora kinase and Glc7/PP1 phosphatase in budding yeast and nematodes

Phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10 occurs during mitosis and meiosi s in a wide range of eukaryotes and has been shown to be required for prope r chromosome transmission in Tetrahymena. Here we report that Ipl1/aurora k inase and its genetically interacting phosphatase, Glc7/PP1, are responsibl e for the balance of H3 phosphorylation during mitosis in Saccharomyces cer evisiae and Caenorhabditis elegans. In these models, both enzymes are requi red for H3 phosphorylation and chromosome segregation, although a causal li nk between the two processes has not been demonstrated. Deregulation of hum an aurora kinases has been implicated in oncogenesis as a consequence of ch romosome missegregation. Our findings reveal an enzyme system that regulate s chromosome dynamics and controls histone phosphorylation that is conserve d among diverse eukaryotes.