Understanding the mechanism of chromosome segregation. Bungo Akiyoshi is a Senior Lecturer in Evolutionary Cell Biology at the Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh. He is interested in understanding the mechanism of how cells accurately transmit their genetic material during cell division. After obtaining a PhD in 2010 from the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle in Sue Biggins' lab, he moved to the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford to join Keith Gull's lab as a postdoc. In 2013, Bungo started his group in 2013 at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford supported by Royal Society and Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowship, and was awarded a Wellcome Senior Research Fellow in 2018. Bungo Akiyoshi Bungo moved to the University of Edinburgh in 2023 to continue studying unconventional kinetochore proteins in trypanosomes to reveal fundamental requirements of eukaryotic chromosome segregation machines supported by a Wellcome Discovery Award (2023–2031). He was selected to join the EMBO Young Investigator program in 2016. Akiyoshi Lab Website Lab members Midori Ishii Kanazawa, Sam Taylor, Dipika Mishra, Aleksandra Ciszek, Sam Forsyth, and Gillian Clifford Research We are interested in understanding the mechanism of how eukaryotic cells inherit their genetic material accurately at each round of cell division. We focus on the kinetochore, the macromolecular protein complex that drives chromosome segregation. Although it was widely believed that the structural core of kinetochores would be composed of proteins that are conserved in all eukaryotes (e.g. CENP-A, Ndc80), we discovered an unconventional class of kinetochore proteins (KKT1–25) in Trypanosoma brucei, an evolutionarily-divergent kinetoplastid parasite that causes African sleeping sickness. Our current goal is to understand how they carry out conserved kinetochore functions such as binding to DNA or microtubules, as well as establishment of proper bi-oriented attachments. We also reconstitute kinetochore complexes and characterize them using various approaches, including structural biology and biophysics techniques. In addition, we are now trying to reveal the mechanism of chromosome segregation in diplonemids, highly abundant marine microorganisms that are distantly related to kinetoplastids. By understanding unique kinetochores in these evolutionarily divergent organisms, we aim to reveal fundamental principles of chromosome segregation mechanism in eukaryotes. Key questionsWhat determines where kinetoplastid kinetochores are assembled?How are kinetoplastid kinetochores organized?How do conserved mitotic regulators ensure accurate chromosome segregation in kinetoplastids?How do diplonemids segregate their chromosomes? Image Figure LegendKKT2 and KKT3 are homologous protein kinases that form the base of kinetoplastid kinetochores. They have three domains that are highly conserved among kinetoplastids: an N-terminal protein kinase domain that regulates kinetochore functions, the central domain, and C-terminal divergent polo boxes that recruit other kinetochore proteins. The central domain is responsible for the centromere localization of KKT2 and KKT3. Crystal structures of the KKT2 central domain reveal that it consists of the centromere localization (CL) domain and a C2H2-type zinc finger. Selected publications Ballmer D, Lou HJ, Ishii M, Turk BE, Akiyoshi B (2024) Aurora B controls anaphase onset and error-free chromosome segregation in trypanosomes. Journal of Cell Biology 223 (11):e202401169Ludzia P, Ishii M, Deák G, Spanos C, Wilson MD, Redfield C, Akiyoshi B (2025) Kinetoplastid kinetochore protein KKT23 acetyltransferase is a structural homolog of GCN5 that acetylates the histone H2A C-terminal tail. Structure 33(1):123-135.e10 Akiyoshi B, Faktorová D, Lukeš J (2025) Discovery of unique mitotic mechanisms in Paradiplonema papillatum. Open Biology 15(8):250096 This article was published on 2026-04-23
