Centromeres

Thomas Haaf, Mainz University School of Medicine, Mainz, Germany

Published online: September 2006

DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0005785

The centromere is an essential cis-acting chromosomal locus that ensures the segregation of chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis. Cytologically, it localizes to the primary constriction of the condensed mitotic chromosomes, at which sister chromatids are associated and a pair of kinetochores are formed.

Keywords: CENP (centromeric protein); centromere; epigenetics; kinetochore; satellite DNA

Figure 1. Schematic drawing of a mammalian chromosome, showing the centromere. The primary constriction comprises a specialized chromatin structure consisting of centromeric satellite DNA and the proteinaceous kinetochore. CENP-A localizes to the inner plate of the trilaminar kinetochore structure where it associates with a subset of -satellite DNA. The outer plate attaches the centromere to the ends of spindle microtubules to effect mitotic chromosome movements.
Figure 2. Colocalization of -satellite DNA (red) and centromeric proteins (green) on human chromosomes. The DNA component of the centromere is visualized by in situ hybridization using a human -satellite consensus probe. The protein component of the centromere is detected by immunofluorescence staining with human anti-CENP autoantibodies. (a) Normal metaphase spread. (b, c) Selected chromosomes experimentally stretched to 10–20 times their normal length show CENP binding along the entire length of the -satellite array.
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 References
    Aagaard L, Schmid M, Warburton P and Jenuwein T (2000) Mitotic phosphorylation of SUV39H1, a novel component of active centromeres, coincides with transient accumulation at mammalian centromeres. Journal of Cell Science 113: 817–829.
    Blower MD, Sullivan BA and Karpen GH (2002) Conserved organization of centromeric chromatin in flies and humans. Developmental Cell 2: 319–330.
    Brown KE, Guest SS, Smale ST, et al. (1997) Association of transcriptionally silent genes with Ikaros complexes at centromeric heterochromatin. Cell 91: 845–854.
    Dobie KW, Hari KL, Maggert KA and Karpen GH (1999) Centromeric proteins and chromosome inheritance: a complex affair. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 9: 206–217.
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    Haaf T and Schmid M (1991) Chromosome topology in mammalian interphase nuclei. Experimental Cell Research 192: 325–332.
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    Shelby RD, Monier K and Sullivan KF (2000) Chromatin assembly at kinetochores is uncoupled from DNA replication. Journal of Cell Biology 151: 1113–1118.
    Willard HF (1991) Evolution of alpha satellite. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 1: 509–514.
 Further Reading
    book Choo KHA (1997) The Centromere. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
    Choo KHA (2000) Centromerization. Trends in Cell Biology 10: 182–188.
    Clarke L (1998) Centromeres: proteins, protein complexes, and repeated domains at centromeres of simple eukaryotes. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 8: 212–218.
    Craig JM, Earnshaw WC and Vagnarelli P (1999) Mammalian centromeres: DNA sequence, protein composition, and role in cell cycle progression. Experimental Cell Research 246: 249–262.
    Dej KJ and Orr-Weaver TL (2000) Separation anxiety at the centromere. Trends in Cell Biology 10: 392–399.
    Hennig W (1999) Heterochromatin. Chromosoma 108: 1–9.
    Karpen GH and Allshire RC (1997) The case for epigenetic effects on centromere identity and function. Trends in Genetics 13: 489–496.
    Schueler MG, Higgins AW, Rudd MK, Gustashaw K and Willard HF (2001) Genomic and genetic definition of a functional human centromere. Science 294: 109–115.
    Sullivan KF (2001) A solid foundation: functional specialization of centromeric chromatin. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 11: 182–188.
    book Warburton PE and Willard HF (1996) "Evolution of centromeric alpha satellite DNA". In: Jackson M, Strachan T and Dover G (eds.) Human Genome Evolution, pp. 121–145. Oxford, UK: Bios Scientific Publishers.
 Web Links
    ePath Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). Immunodeficiency–centromeric instability–facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?242860
    ePath Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). Roberts syndrome. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?268300
    ePath DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 beta (DNMT3B); Locus ID: 1789. LocusLink: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/LocusLink/LocRpt.cgi?l=1789
    ePath DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 beta (DNMT3B); MIM number: 602900. OMIM: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?602900

Related Sub-Topics:

Basic Cell Biology, Protein, RNA and DNA | Cell Cycle | Chromosome Segregation | Nucleic Acid Structure | Chromosomes and Chromatin Modifications
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Article Title: Centromeres
 
How to Cite close
Haaf, Thomas(Sep 2006) Centromeres. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0005785]