The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is an essential control system of the
eukaryotic cell cycle that ensures genome stability. The essence of this evolutionarily
conserved mechanism is to delay mitosis progression until proper chromosome biorientation
and attachment is achieved. Mutations in the genes encoding for diverse
checkpoint proteins lead to the impairment of the mitotic checkpoint mechanism, thus
resulting in the premature separation of sister chromatids and aneuploidy, a condition
that is associated with various classes of cancer. The understanding of the organisation,
structure and function of SAC components is essential for the molecular understanding
of the process and to identify and evaluate new targets for cancer drug therapy.
Keywords: Cancer, chromosome segregation, genome instability, kinetochoremicrotubule,
mitosis, spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC).