title: Silence of the centromeres--not.
abstract: Centromeres are a conundrum; although many proteins associated with centomeres are conserved from yeast to humans, the underlying DNA sequence is not. A proposed solution to this problem is that an epigenetic, largely heterochromatic, state be imposed by these proteins. Recent analysis of a human neocentromere and the complete sequence of a rice centromere suggest that this epigenetic state can enable transcription of at least some genes within a centromere.
authors.affiliation: MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK. Howard.Cooke@hgu.mrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Howard J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cooke
mesh_terms: D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004247:DNA