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Related Concept Videos

Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

Histone Variants at the Centromere

Histone variants are the histone proteins with structural and sequence variations. These variants may be regarded as “mutant” forms that replace their canonical histone counterparts in the nucleosomes. Specific post-translational modifications on the histone variants enable further chromatin complexity and regulate tissue-specific gene expression. The most common histone variants are from histone H2A, H2B, and linker histone H1 families. However, several variants of histone H3 variants are also...
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying DNA...
Spindle Assembly02:50

Spindle Assembly

Spindle assembly occurs through three, often coexisting, pathways – the centrosome-mediated pathway, the chromatin-mediated pathway, and the microtubule-mediated pathway – collectively contributing to form a robust spindle apparatus.
In most cells, centrosomes are the primary microtubule nucleation centers. In the centrosome-mediated pathway, the G2-prophase transition triggers centrosome maturation and increased microtubule nucleation. Progressive nucleation results in a microtubule array...
Condensins02:15

Condensins

Condensins are large protein complexes that use ATP to fuel the assembly of chromosomes during mitosis. They transform the tangled, shapeless mass of post-interphase DNA into individualized chromosomes by compacting, organizing, and segregating chromosomal DNA.
The plant and animal cells contain two types of condensin complexes—condensin I and condensin II. Both complexes have five subunits: two SMC (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes) subunits, a kleisin subunit, and two HEAT-repeat...
Spreading of Chromatin Modifications02:25

Spreading of Chromatin Modifications

The histone proteins in the nucleosomes are post-translationally modified (PTM) to increase or decrease access to DNA. The commonly observed PTMs are methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of lysine amino acids in the histone H3 tail region. These histone modifications have specific meaning for the cell. Hence, they are called "histone code". The protein complex involved in histone modification is termed as "reader-writer" complex.
Writers
The writer is an enzyme that can...
Attachment of Sister Chromatids02:57

Attachment of Sister Chromatids

As cells progress into mitosis, the nuclear envelope breaks down, and the condensed chromosomes are exposed to the array of bipolar microtubules of the mitotic spindle. The kinetochore, a large, disc-shaped protein complex, is present at the centromere region of the sister chromatids and acts as a binding site for the microtubules.  Usually, the plus-end of a single microtubule is embedded within the kinetochore. However, some kinetochores first establish lateral contact with the side-wall of a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins
05:35

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Published on: March 3, 2016

Centromeres: assembling and propagating epigenetic function.

Macdara Glynn1, Agnieszka Kaczmarczyk, Lisa Prendergast

  • 1Centre for Chromosome Biology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway, Ireland.

Sub-Cellular Biochemistry
|December 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The centromere epigenetically determines kinetochore assembly for accurate chromosome segregation. CENP-A chromatin assembly in G1 is crucial for centromere replication and genomic stability.

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Last Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins
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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Genomic stability relies on faithful DNA replication and chromosome segregation.
  • The centromere is a critical locus for kinetochore assembly, ensuring accurate cell division.
  • Centromeres are epigenetically determined by protein composition, not DNA sequence alone.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the structure and assembly of the centromere.
  • To elucidate the role of the centromere in sister chromatid segregation.
  • To explain the epigenetic determination and cell cycle-dependent assembly of centromeric chromatin.

Main Methods:

  • Review of centromere structure and function.
  • Description of kinetochore assembly and spindle attachment.
  • Analysis of CENP-A chromatin dynamics during the cell cycle.

Main Results:

  • Kinetochores assemble on centromeres during G2, mediating spindle attachment and chromatid separation.
  • Centromeres are epigenetic loci built on CENP-A nucleosomes, flanked by heterochromatin.
  • CENP-A chromatin assembles in G1, distinct from DNA replication in S-phase.

Conclusions:

  • Epigenetic determination and timely CENP-A assembly are vital for centromere function and replication.
  • Understanding centromere assembly mechanisms is key to maintaining genomic stability.
  • The centromere-kinetochore complex ensures proper chromosome segregation through the spindle assembly checkpoint.