Microtubules are dynamic structures that form part of the cellular cytoskeleton. During mitosis, microtubules form the bipolar spindle structure that carries out chromosome division. Errors in this process lead to aneuploidy, chromosomal instability and supernumerary centrosomes, which are common features of tumour cells and arguably drivers of cancer. Our main project in this area aims to resolve the intermicrotubule bridge structures that reinforce the mitotic spindle. The shortest bridges are formed by the clathrin/TACC3/ch-TOG (CTC) complex, assembly of which is controlled by the protein kinase Aurora-A. The spindle protein TACC3 is a dynamic, disordered protein, which is phosphorylated by Aurora-A, and adopts a helical conformation as it binds its partner CHC (Burgess, EMBO J. 2018).
