Centromeric chromatin and the pathway that drives its propagation

The centromere is the locus that directs chromosomal inheritance at cell division. While centromeres in diverse eukaryotes are commonly found at sites of repetitive DNA, their location is epigenetically specified. The histone H3 variant CENP-A is the prime candidate for epigenetically marking the centromere, and recent work has uncovered several additional proteins that play key roles in centromere assembly and maintenance. We describe advances in the identification and characterization of proteins that form the centromere, and focus on recent findings that have advanced our understanding of the assembly of functional centromeric chromatin. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Histone chaperones and chromatin assembly.

► Structure of CENP-A complexes provide insight into centromere function and propagation.
► The levels of CENP-A present at the centromere change with the cell cycle.
► The CENP-A deposition pathway during G1 requires distinct steps.
► S phase CENP-A redeposition may occur with or without the assistance of chaperones.