Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Forces Acting on Chromosomes02:11

Forces Acting on Chromosomes

3.4K
During mitosis, chromosome movements occur through the interplay of multiple piconewton level forces. In prometaphase, these forces help in chromosome assembly or congression at the equatorial plane, eventually leading to their alignment at the metaphase plate. The forces acting on the chromosomes are space and time-dependent; therefore, they vary with the position of the chromosomes as the cell progresses through mitosis. 
Microtubules and motor proteins exert two types of forces on...
3.4K
Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

Histone Variants at the Centromere

4.5K
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...
4.5K
Attachment of Sister Chromatids02:57

Attachment of Sister Chromatids

3.4K
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...
3.4K
Centrioles and Centrosomes01:13

Centrioles and Centrosomes

3.5K
Most animal cells comprise a pair of centrioles together called a centrosome. The cell duplicates its centrosome and contains two centrosomes side-by-side, which begin to move apart during the prophase. As the centrosomes migrate to two different sides of the cell, microtubules start extending from each centrosome toward the other end. The mitotic spindle is composed of the centrosomes and their emerging microtubules.
Near the end of the prophase, also called late prophase or...
3.5K
Anaphase A and B01:39

Anaphase A and B

4.2K
Microtubules form through the end-to-end polymerization of tubulin heterodimers. Kinetochore microtubules originate from the spindle poles, and their plus-ends connect with the kinetochores on sister-chromatids. Ndc80 protein complexes, present on the kinetochore, form low-affinity links with the plus end of these kinetochore microtubules.
Plus-end depolymerization releases tubulin heterodimers from the terminal region of the microtubule. As tubulin subunits are lost, the Ndc80 complexes detach...
4.2K
Spindle Assembly02:50

Spindle Assembly

3.8K
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...
3.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

KAS-CUT&Tag for direct mapping of transcription bubbles.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Superabundant microRNAs are transcribed from human rDNA spacer promoters insulated by CTCF.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Cell-cycle-dependent repression of histone gene transcription by histone H4.

Nature structural & molecular biology·2026
Same author

An integrated view of the structure and function of the human 4D nucleome.

Nature·2025
Same author

Nascent CUT&Tag captures transcription factor binding after chromatin duplication.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Polycomb misregulation in enterocytes drives tissue decline in the aging <i>Drosophila</i> intestine.

Genome research·2025
Same journal

Combining ultrastructure expansion microscopy with immunofluorescence and Oligopaint DNA FISH.

Chromosome research : an international journal on the molecular, supramolecular and evolutionary aspects of chromosome biology·2026
Same journal

Bridging methodological gaps in avian cytogenetics: comprehensive and optimized protocols for chromosomal preparation in birds.

Chromosome research : an international journal on the molecular, supramolecular and evolutionary aspects of chromosome biology·2026
Same journal

The role of satellite DNA-enriched heterochromatic variants in reproductive disorders: Insights from standardized cytogenetic analysis.

Chromosome research : an international journal on the molecular, supramolecular and evolutionary aspects of chromosome biology·2026
Same journal

Cytogenomics of Myloplus tiete reveals conserved satellite DNAs since the Late Eocene in Serrasalmidae (Teleostei, Characiformes).

Chromosome research : an international journal on the molecular, supramolecular and evolutionary aspects of chromosome biology·2026
Same journal

Stable resynthesized Brassica napus lines show similar meiotic behaviour to established B. napus.

Chromosome research : an international journal on the molecular, supramolecular and evolutionary aspects of chromosome biology·2026
Same journal

Characterization of neocentromeric marker chromosome derived from chromosome 11: a rare entity in four patients with acute leukemia.

Chromosome research : an international journal on the molecular, supramolecular and evolutionary aspects of chromosome biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 12, 2025

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

15.3K

Centromeres drive and take a break.

Paul B Talbert1, Steven Henikoff2

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.

Chromosome Research : an International Journal on the Molecular, Supramolecular and Evolutionary Aspects of Chromosome Biology
|August 4, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Centromeres evolve rapidly through a "centromere drive" mechanism, where DNA repair processes, not just errors in cell division, expand and contract satellite DNA. This impacts evolution and diseases like cancer.

Keywords:
Break-induced replicationCancerCentromere driveKinetochoreSatellite DNASpeciation

More Related Videos

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations
07:14

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations

Published on: September 20, 2019

8.3K
Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
10:52

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

9.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 12, 2025

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

15.3K
Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations
07:14

Live Cell Imaging to Assess the Dynamics of Metaphase Timing and Cell Fate Following Mitotic Spindle Perturbations

Published on: September 20, 2019

8.3K
Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
10:52

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

9.9K

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Centromeres, crucial for chromosome segregation, exhibit diversity and complexity, primarily composed of satellite DNA arrays in most eukaryotes.
  • Key centromeric proteins (CENPA, CENPB, CENPC) and rapid centromere evolution suggest a 'centromere drive' model influencing kinetochore proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on the mechanisms driving centromere evolution.
  • To explore the role of non-B-form DNA structures and DNA repair in satellite DNA dynamics.
  • To connect centromere instability during replication to aneuploidies in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature and research findings.
  • Analysis of DNA replication fork dynamics at centromeric satellite regions.
  • Examination of DNA repair pathways, specifically break-induced replication (BIR).

Main Results:

  • Non-B-form DNA structures in satellite centromeres cause frequent replication fork stalling.
  • Break-induced replication (BIR) is identified as the primary mechanism for satellite DNA expansion and contraction, rather than unequal sister chromatid exchange.
  • Replication-associated centromere breaks, not mitotic errors, are implicated in most centromere misdivisions leading to aneuploidies in cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Centromere evolution is significantly influenced by DNA repair mechanisms acting on stalled replication forks within satellite DNA.
  • The centromere drive model is supported by break-induced replication as the engine for generating variation in satellite DNA copy number.
  • Understanding replication-associated centromere instability offers insights into cancer-related aneuploidies.