Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026

Isolation and Cultivation of Neural Progenitors Followed by Chromatin-Immunoprecipitation of Histone 3 Lysine 79 Dimethylation Mark
Published on: January 26, 2018
Identification of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant in Lotus japonicus
Ahmet L Tek1, Kazunari Kashihara1, Minoru Murata1
1Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki 710-0046, Japan.
Abstract:
The centromere is a structurally and functionally specialized region present on every eukaryotic chromosome. Lotus japonicus is a model legume species for which there is very limited information on the centromere structure. Here we cloned and characterized the L. japonicus homolog of the centromere-specific histone H3 gene (LjCenH3) encoding a 159-amino acid protein. Using an Agrobacterium-based transformation system, LjCenH3 tagged with a green fluorescent protein was transferred into L. japonicus cells. The centromeric position of LjCENH3 protein was revealed on L. japonicus metaphase chromosomes by an immunofluorescence assay. The identification of LjCenH3 as a critical centromere landmark could pave the way for a better understanding of centromere structure in this model and other agriculturally important legume species.
Related Concept Videos
Histone Variants at the Centromere
Heterochromatin
Constitutive heterochromatin: It is a highly compact region of chromatin that is mostly concentrated in the centromere and telomere. Unlike euchromatin, the amino acid at...
Heterochromatin
Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
Histone Modification
Position-effect Variegation

