TY - JOUR AU - Zhu, Jing AU - Cheng, Kevin Chi Lok AU - Yuen, Karen Wing Yee PY - 2018 DA - 2018/04/13 TI - Histone H3K9 and H4 Acetylations and Transcription Facilitate the Initial CENP-AHCP−3 Deposition and De Novo Centromere Establishment in Caenorhabditis elegans Artificial Chromosomes JO - Epigenetics & Chromatin SP - 16 VL - 11 IS - 1 AB - The centromere is the specialized chromatin region that directs chromosome segregation. The kinetochore assembles on the centromere, attaching chromosomes to microtubules in mitosis. The centromere position is usually maintained through cell cycles and generations. However, new centromeres, known as neocentromeres, can occasionally form on ectopic regions when the original centromere is inactivated or lost due to chromosomal rearrangements. Centromere repositioning can occur during evolution. Moreover, de novo centromeres can form on exogenously transformed DNA in human cells at a low frequency, which then segregates faithfully as human artificial chromosomes (HACs). How centromeres are maintained, inactivated and activated is unclear. A conserved histone H3 variant, CENP-A, epigenetically marks functional centromeres, interspersing with H3. Several histone modifications enriched at centromeres are required for centromere function, but their role in new centromere formation is less clear. Studying the mechanism of new centromere formation has been challenging because these events are difficult to detect immediately, requiring weeks for HAC selection. SN - 1756-8935 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13072-018-0185-1 DO - 10.1186/s13072-018-0185-1 ID - Zhu2018 ER -