Upon entry into mitosis, the cell's microtubule (MT) network forms the mitotic spindle, allowing the segregation of paired chromosomes. Proteinaceous structures on centromeric chromatin termed kinetochores (KT) are essential for the proper attachment of the chromosomes to the spindle MTs. A recently discovered spindle and kinetochore complex, comprised of proteins SKA1, SKA2, and SKA3, has been found to be required for stable KT-MT interactions and timely anaphase onset. Like with SKA1 or SKA2, depletion of SKA3 by siRNA delays anaphase transition, resulting in a prolonged a metaphase-like state. These SKA3-depleted cells accumulate high levels of the checkpoint protein Bub1 at kinetochores, suggesting the SKA complex plays a key role in spindle checkpoint silencing and the maintenance of chromosome cohesion in mitosis.Synonyms: C13orf3, RAMA1, Spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 3