Atp synthase f1 subunits recruited to centromeres by cenp-a are required for male meiosis

Abstract

The histone H3 variant CENP-A epigenetically defines the centromere and is critical for chromosome segregation. Here we report an interaction between CENP-A and subunits of the mitochondrial ATP synthase complex in the germline of male Drosophila. Furthermore, we report that knockdown of CENP-A, as well as subunits ATPsyn-alpha, -beta like (a testis-specific paralogue of ATPsyn-beta) and -gamma disrupts sister centromere cohesion in meiotic prophase I. We find that this disruption is likely independent of reduced ATP levels. We identify that ATPsyn-alpha and -beta like localise to meiotic centromeres and that this localisation is dependent on the presence of CENP-A. We show that ATPsyn-alpha directly interacts with the N-terminus of CENP-A in vitro and that truncation of its N terminus perturbs sister centromere cohesion in prophase I. We propose that the CENP-A N-terminus recruits ATPsyn-alpha and -beta like to centromeres to promote sister centromere cohesion in a nuclear function that is independent of oxidative phosphorylation.