title: Molecular cloning of an intronless gene for the hamster centromere antigen CENP-B.
abstract: Centromere protein B (CENP-B) is a DNA-binding protein present at both active and inactive centromeres. It was first localized at the kinetochore region by human autoimmune sera from CREST patients. Using a previously identified human cDNA we have isolated a genomic clone containing the complete hamster CENP-b intronless coding sequence. At the nucleotide level it was found to possess a high degree of homology with the human and mouse CENP-B genes, being 75% and 90% respectively. This codes for 606 amino acid residues, which represent seven more than the human and mouse centromeric proteins. Hamster CENP-B protein analysis revealed at the N-terminal region a 133 amino acid fragment of 100% homology to the DNA binding motif identified previously for the human autoantigen. Expression of hamster CENP-B during the cell cycle was analyzed by using a specific antiCENP-B serum generated against the C-terminal conserved region. These data indicate that CENP-B is highly conserved and it represents a universal component of the centromere structure and function in mammals.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Bejarano
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Valdivia
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens; D001483:Base Sequence; D051936:Centromere Protein B; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D051936:Centromere Protein B; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins