Emerging roles of centromeric RNAs in centromere formation and function

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Epigenetics
• Genetics

Background:

• Centromeres are epigenetic, not sequence-based, chromosomal regions essential for kinetochore formation and chromosome segregation.
• Highly repetitive DNA at centromeres, once thought silent, is now known to be transcribed into centromeric-derived RNAs (cenRNAs).
• The precise roles, distribution, and behavior of cenRNAs remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of the roles of cenRNAs in centromere formation and function.
• To summarize recent findings on the epigenetic regulation of cenRNAs across diverse species.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on centromere structure and DNA sequences from yeast to humans.
• Description of the roles of cenRNAs in key centromeric processes.
• Introduction to methods for identifying centromeric circular RNAs (circRNAs) and R-loops, including high-throughput sequencing and specialized library preparation techniques.

Main Results:

• Centromeric transcripts, including circRNAs and R-loops, are increasingly recognized for their contributions to centromere function.
• These transcripts are involved in kinetochore structure, accurate chromosome segregation, and pericentromeric heterochromatin assembly.
• The molecular features and specific functions of centromeric circRNAs and R-loops are active areas of ongoing investigation.

Conclusions:

• Epigenetic regulation is key to understanding cenRNA function across species.
• Further research into cenRNAs promises significant insights into fundamental aspects of centromere biology.
• This review consolidates current knowledge and highlights avenues for future studies on cenRNAs.