outer kinetochore

GO:0000940 · Other · Subcellular region · Proposed

The region of a kinetochore most external to centromeric DNA; this outer region mediates kinetochore-microtubule interactions. [GO:0000940]

Synonyms: condensed chromosome outer kinetochore; condensed nuclear chromosome outer kinetochore; outer kinetochore of condensed chromosome; outer kinetochore of condensed nuclear chromosome; outer kinetochore plate

Part of: kinetochore (GO:0000776)

Has part: MIS12/MIND type complex (GO:0000444); Ndc80 complex (GO:0031262)

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Components

Component	Type	Part of / acts on	Grounding	Genes	Stoichiometry	Essential	Role
MIS12/MIND type complex	Protein complex	part of	`GO:0000444`	MTW1, DSN1, NSL1, NNF1		UNKNOWN	Constituent kinetochore subcomplex that links centromeric chromatin-proximal assemblies to outer microtubule-binding modules. `GO:0000444` Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the MIS12/MIND type complex, which forms part of the outer kinetochore. `DOI:10.1101/gad.1144403` De Wulf, McAinsh and Sorger 2003 placed the budding-yeast MIND complex in the kinetochore bridge between DNA-proximal and microtubule-bound subunits.
Ndc80 complex	Protein complex	part of	`GO:0031262`	NDC80, NUF2, SPC24, SPC25		UNKNOWN	Conserved outer-kinetochore complex that couples kinetochores to spindle microtubule plus ends. `GO:0031262` Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the Ndc80 complex, which is part of the outer kinetochore. `DOI:10.1534/genetics.112.145276` Biggins 2013 reviewed Ndc80 as a core outer-kinetochore microtubule-coupling complex.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — COMMON: Budding yeast has an outer kinetochore that includes MIND and Ndc80 subcomplexes at the centromere-to-microtubule interface. [DOI:10.1534/genetics.112.145276]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Reference yeast system in which outer-kinetochore subcomplexes and their centromere-to-microtubule hierarchy have been genetically and biochemically characterized. [DOI:10.1101/gad.1144403]

Functions

kinetochore-microtubule interaction — The outer kinetochore provides the microtubule-facing kinetochore region that mediates contacts with spindle microtubules.
- GO:0000940 GO:0000940 defines the outer kinetochore as the region that mediates kinetochore-microtubule interactions.
- DOI:10.1534/genetics.112.145276 Biggins 2013 reviewed the outer kinetochore as a microtubule-coupling layer in budding yeast.

Mechanism graphs

Outer kinetochore presents the microtubule-coupling interface (ASSEMBLY)

The outer kinetochore is the centromere-distal kinetochore region that contains MIS12/MIND and Ndc80 subcomplexes and mediates spindle-microtubule contacts.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
MIS12/MIND type complex	bridges to	outer kinetochore	`GO:0000444` GO:0000444 defines MIS12/MIND as a complex that binds centromeric chromatin, forms part of the outer kinetochore, and helps recruit outer microtubule-binding subunits. `DOI:10.1101/gad.1144403` De Wulf, McAinsh and Sorger 2003 classified yeast MIND between DNA-proximal and microtubule-bound kinetochore subunits.
Ndc80 complex	is part of	outer kinetochore	`GO:0031262` GO:0031262 is part_of GO:0000940 outer kinetochore. `DOI:10.1534/genetics.112.145276` Biggins 2013 reviewed Ndc80 as a core outer-kinetochore complex.
outer kinetochore	is part of	kinetochore	`GO:0000940` GO:0000940 is part_of GO:0000776 kinetochore.
outer kinetochore	mediates	kinetochore-microtubule interaction	`GO:0000940` GO:0000940 defines the outer kinetochore as mediating kinetochore-microtubule interactions. `DOI:10.1534/genetics.112.145276` Biggins 2013 reviewed budding-yeast outer-kinetochore microtubule-coupling complexes.

Discussions

INTERPRETATION (RESOLVED): Keep individual MIS12/MIND and Ndc80 subunits, lineage-specific outer kinetochore complexes, inner kinetochore assemblies, and checkpoint regulators outside the generic outer kinetochore component list. The generic outer kinetochore is represented by conserved, named subcomplexes; individual protein families are curated inside those subcomplex records, lineage-restricted outer kinetochore complexes stay in their own records, and nonconstituent checkpoint factors should be reviewed separately.
CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve the complete outer kinetochore subcomplex census across yeasts and vertebrates. This record links the GO-exact MIS12/MIND and Ndc80 records that are already curated, but it does not claim that they exhaust the outer kinetochore in every lineage.

Evidence

GO:0000940 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for outer kinetochore.
GO:0000776 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for kinetochore.
GO:0000444 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the MIS12/MIND type complex.
GO:0031262 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the Ndc80 complex.
DOI:10.1534/genetics.112.145276 Biggins 2013, The composition, functions, and regulation of the budding yeast kinetochore, Genetics.
DOI:10.1101/gad.1144403 De Wulf, McAinsh and Sorger 2003, Hierarchical assembly of the budding yeast kinetochore from multiple subcomplexes, Genes & Development.

Curation history

2026-09-23T21:16:07Z claude-code · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-23T21:17:44Z claude-code · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO outer kinetochore synonymy and kinetochore parthood, MIS12/MIND, Ndc80 and DASH subcomplexes, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae example, a kinetochore-microtubule interaction function, DOI/GO evidence, a nonmechanistic outer-kinetochore graph, and boundary TODOs.
2026-09-23T21:27:51Z claude-code · ADDRESS_REVIEW — Resolved #1428 by removing yeast-specific DASH from the generic outer kinetochore has_part list, components, mechanism graph, and DASH-only evidence.
2026-09-23T21:29:00Z claude-code · ADDRESS_REVIEW — Finished the #1428 review fix by removing a stale discussion attachment to the DASH component.

Source: data/structures/other/outer_kinetochore.yaml