title: Centromeres: old tales and new tools.
abstract: The centromere is a specialised region of the eukaryotic chromosome that directs the equal segregation of sister chromatids into two daughter cells during mitosis. In mitosis, the kinetochores mediate (1) microtubule capture and chromosome alignment at a metaphase plate; (2) the correction of improper microtubule attachments; (3) the maintenance of an active checkpoint until bi-orientation is achieved by the whole complement of chromosomes; (4) the establishment of tension within the centromere which, in turn, contributes to silencing of the spindle checkpoint and triggers the onset of anaphase. In this review, we will analyse how centromeres are organised with respect to chromatin types and arrangements.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Swann Building, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, UK. p.vagnarelli@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vagnarelli
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Earnshaw
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002503:Centromere / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin