Eic1 links Mis18 with the CCAN/Mis6/Ctf19 complex to promote CENP-A assembly

CENP-A chromatin the foundation for kinetochore assembly in all eukaryotes. CENP-A is incorporated outside of S phase and depends on its chaperone HJURPScm3, and Mis18 in vertebrates and fission yeast. The recruitment of Mis18 and HJURPScm3 to centromeres is cell cycle regulated. Vertebrate Mis18 associates with Mis18BP1KNL2 and RbAp46/48Mis16/Hat2. Mis18BP1KNL2 is critical for the recruitment of Mis18 and HJURPScm3 to vertebrate centromeres. However, no ortholog of Mis18BP1KNL2 has been identified in fission yeast, consequently it remains unknown how the key Cnp1CENP-A loading factor Mis18 is recruited. We identify two novel Mis18-interacting proteins (Eic1 and Eic2) in fission yeast. Our analyses show that Eic1 and Eic2 are components of a Mis18 complex. Eic1 is essential to maintain normal Cnp1CENP-A levels at centromeres and therefore is crucial for kinetochore integrity whereas Eic2 is dispensable. Eic1 also associates with components of the large constitutive CCAN/Sim4/Ctf19 complex. Our findings suggest that Eic1 is the functional counterpart of Mis18BP1KNL2 and acts as a link with constitutive kinetochore components to allow the temporally regulated recruitment of the Mis18 Cnp1CENP-A loader. 100bp paired end ChIP-Seq analysis of GFP tagged Eic1, Eic2, Scm3, and Mis18 with sonicated whole cell extract input DNA in asynchornous Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells.