Abstract

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is an essential control system of the eukaryotic cell cycle that ensures genome stability. The essence of this evolutionarily conserved mechanism is to delay mitosis progression until proper chromosome biorientation and attachment is achieved. Mutations in the genes encoding for diverse checkpoint proteins lead to the impairment of the mitotic checkpoint mechanism, thus resulting in the premature separation of sister chromatids and aneuploidy, a condition that is associated with various classes of cancer. The understanding of the organisation, structure and function of SAC components is essential for the molecular understanding of the process and to identify and evaluate new targets for cancer drug therapy.