This is the central coiled-coil region of the spindle pole body-associated protein cut12 also found in other fungi, barring S. cerevisiae. The full protein has two predicted coiled-coil regions, and one consensus phosphorylation site for p34cdc2 and two for MAP kinase. During fission yeast mitosis, the duplicated spindle pole bodies (SPBs) nucleate microtubule arrays that interdigitate to form the mitotic spindle. Cut12 is localised to the SPB throughout the cell cycle, predominantly around the inner face of the interphase SPB, adjacent to the nucleus [1]. Cut12 associates with Fin1 and is important in this context for the activity of Plo1 [2].

1: The fission yeast SPB component Cut12 links bipolar spindle formation to mitotic control. Bridge AJ, Morphew M, Bartlett R, Hagan IM; Genes Dev. 1998;12:927-942. PMID:9531532

2: Schizosaccharomyces pombe NIMA-related kinase, Fin1, regulates spindle formation and an affinity of Polo for the SPB. Grallert A, Hagan IM; EMBO J. 2002;21:3096-3107. PMID:12065422