title: Molecular underpinnings of centromere identity and maintenance.
abstract: Centromeres direct faithful chromosome inheritance at cell division but are not defined by a conserved DNA sequence. Instead, a specialized form of chromatin containing the histone H3 variant, CENP-A, epigenetically specifies centromere location. We discuss current models where CENP-A serves as the marker for the centromere during the entire cell cycle in addition to generating the foundational chromatin for the kinetochore in mitosis. Recent elegant experiments have indicated that engineered arrays of CENP-A-containing nucleosomes are sufficient to serve as the site of kinetochore formation and for seeding centromeric chromatin that self-propagates through cell generations. Finally, recent structural and dynamic studies of CENP-A-containing histone complexes - before and after assembly into nucleosomes - provide models to explain underlying molecular mechanisms at the centromere.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6059, USA.
authors.forename: Nikolina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sekulic
authors.forename: Ben E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002503:Centromere / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D000076247:Centromere Protein A; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008938:Mitosis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D050801:Ternary Complex Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000076247:Centromere Protein A; D002843:Chromatin; C427237:Cid protein, Drosophila; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C524371:HJURP protein, human; D006657:Histones; D050801:Ternary Complex Factors