Centromeric chromatin gets loaded.
Centromeric nucleosomes contain a histone H3 variant called centromere protein A (CENP-A) that is required for kinetochore assembly and chromosome segregation. Two new studies, Jansen et al. (see p. 795 of this issue) and Maddox et al. (see p. 757 of this issue), address when CENP-A is deposited at centromeres during the cell division cycle and identify an evolutionally conserved protein required for CENP-A deposition. Together, these studies advance our understanding of centromeric chromatin assembly and provide a framework for investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie the centromere-specific loading of CENP-A.
Carroll
Christopher W
CW
Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Straight
Aaron F
AF
D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002503:Centromere / Q000378:metabolism*; D000076247:Centromere Protein A; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D016193:G1 Phase; D023281:Genomics; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D008938:Mitosis; D008957:Models, Genetic
D001324:Autoantigens; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D000076247:Centromere Protein A; D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D006657:Histones