HACking the centromere chromatin code: Insights from human artificial chromosomes

Bergmann, J. H., Martins, N. M. C., Larionov, V., Masumoto, H., Earnshaw, W. C. (July 2012) HACking the centromere chromatin code: Insights from human artificial chromosomes. Chromosome Research, 20 (5). pp. 505-519.

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22825423

DOI: 10.1007/s10577-012-9293-0

Abstract

The centromere is a specialized chromosomal region that serves as the assembly site of the kinetochore. At the centromere, CENP-A nucleosomes form part of a chromatin landscape termed centrochromatin. This chromatin environment conveys epigenetic marks regulating kinetochore formation. Recent work sheds light on the intricate relationship between centrochromatin state, the CENP-A assembly pathway and the maintenance of centromere function. Here, we review the emerging picture of how chromatin affects mammalian kinetochore formation. We place particular emphasis on data obtained from Human Artificial Chromosome (HAC) biology and the targeted engineering of centrochromatin using synthetic HACs. We discuss implications of these findings, which indicate that a delicate balance of histone modifications and chromatin state dictates both de novo centromere formation and the maintenance of centromere identity in dividing cell populations.

Item Type:	Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords:
Subjects:	bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosome > centromere bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosomes, structure and function > chromosome > centromere bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosome bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosomes, structure and function > chromosome bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > chromosomes, structure and function
CSHL Authors:	Bergmann, Jan H.
Communities:	CSHL labs > Spector lab CSHL Post Doctoral Fellows
Depositing User:	Matt Covey
Date:	July 2012
Date Deposited:	31 Jan 2013 21:31
Last Modified:	01 May 2013 20:14
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/26903

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