Centromeres are specialized chromosomal domains that direct kinetochore assembly during mitosis. CENP-A (centromere protein A), a histone H3-variant present exclusively in centromeric nucleosomes, is thought to function as an epigenetic mark that specifies centromere identity. Here we identify the essential centromere protein CENP-N as the first protein to selectively bind CENP-A nucleosomes but not H3 nucleosomes. CENP-N bound CENP-A nucleosomes in a DNA sequence-independent manner, but did not bind soluble CENP-A-H4 tetramers. Mutations in CENP-N that reduced its affinity for CENP-A nucleosomes caused defects in CENP-N localization and had dominant effects on the recruitment of CENP-H, CENP-I and CENP-K to centromeres. Depletion of CENP-N using siRNA (short interfering RNA) led to similar centromere assembly defects and resulted in reduced assembly of nascent CENP-A into centromeric chromatin. These data suggest that CENP-N interprets the information encoded within CENP-A nucleosomes and recruits other proteins to centromeric chromatin that are required for centromere function and propagation.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2704923 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncb1899 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Unlabelled: The centromere is a part of the chromosome that is essential for the even segregation of duplicated chromosomes during cell division. It is epigenetically defined by the presence of the histone H3 variant CENP-A. CENP-A associates specifically with a group of 16 proteins that form the centromere-associated network of proteins (CCAN).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanoscale Characterization of Interaction of Nucleosomes with H1 Linker Histone.
Int J Mol Sci
December 2024
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6025, USA.
In eukaryotic nuclei, DNA is wrapped around an octamer of core histones to form nucleosomes. H1 binds to the linker DNA of nucleosome to form the chromatosome, the next structural unit of chromatin. Structural features on individual chromatosomes contribute to chromatin structure, but not fully characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe chromatin of the centromere provides the assembly site for the mitotic kinetochore that couples microtubule attachment and force production to chromosome movement in mitosis. The chromatin of the centromere is specified by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A. The constitutive centromeric-associated network (CCAN) and kinetochore are assembled on CENP-A chromatin to enable chromosome separation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFunctional monocentricity with holocentric characteristics and chromosome-specific centromeres in a stick insect.
Sci Adv
January 2025
Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Centromeres are essential for chromosome segregation in eukaryotes, yet their specification is unexpectedly diverse among species and can involve major transitions such as those from localized to chromosome-wide centromeres between monocentric and holocentric species. How this diversity evolves remains elusive. We discovered within-cell variation in the recruitment of the major centromere protein CenH3, reminiscent of variation typically observed among species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConcatemer-assisted stoichiometry analysis: targeted mass spectrometry for protein quantification.
Life Sci Alliance
March 2025
https://ror.org/0168r3w48 Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Large multiprotein machines are central to many biological processes. However, stoichiometric determination of protein complex subunits in their native states presents a significant challenge. This study addresses the limitations of current tools in accuracy and precision by introducing concatemer-assisted stoichiometry analysis (CASA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!