Journal home
Advance online publication
Current issue
Archive
Press releases
Supplements and Focuses
Image gallery
Guide to authors
Online submissionOnline submission
Permissions
For referees
Free online issue
Contact the journal
Subscribe
Advertising
work@npg
naturereprints
About this site
For librarians
 
NPG Resources
Nature
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
UCSD-Nature Signaling Gateway
The Cell Migration Gateway
Nature Reports Stem Cells
Nature Reports Avian Flu
NPG Subject areas
Biotechnology
Cancer
Chemistry
Clinical Medicine
Dentistry
Development
Drug Discovery
Earth Sciences
Evolution & Ecology
Genetics
Immunology
Materials Science
Medical Research
Microbiology
Molecular Cell Biology
Neuroscience
Pharmacology
Physics
Browse all publications
Article
Nature Cell Biology 8, 458 - 469 (2006)
Published online: 16 April 2006; | doi:10.1038/ncb1397

The human CENP-A centromeric nucleosome-associated complex

Daniel R. Foltz1, 3, Lars E. T. Jansen1, 3, Ben E. Black1, 3, Aaron O. Bailey4, John R. Yates III4 & Don W. Cleveland1, 2, 3

1  Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093–0670, USA.

2  Department of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093–0670, USA.

3  Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093–0670, USA.

4  The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Correspondence should be addressed to Don W. Cleveland dcleveland@ucsd.edu

The basic element for chromosome inheritance, the centromere, is epigenetically determined in mammals. The prime candidate for specifying centromere identity is the array of nucleosomes assembled with CENP-A, the centromere-specific histone H3 variant. Here, we show that CENP-A nucleosomes directly recruit a proximal CENP-A nucleosome associated complex (NAC) comprised of three new human centromere proteins (CENP-M, CENP-N and CENP-T), along with CENP-U(50), CENP-C and CENP-H. Assembly of the CENP-A NAC at centromeres is dependent on CENP-M, CENP-N and CENP-T. Facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) and nucleophosmin-1 (previously implicated in transcriptional chromatin remodelling and as a multifunctional nuclear chaperone, respectively) are absent from histone H3-containing nucleosomes, but are stably recruited to CENP-A nucleosomes independent of CENP-A NAC. Seven new CENP-A-nucleosome distal (CAD) centromere components (CENP-K, CENP-L, CENP-O, CENP-P, CENP-Q, CENP-R and CENP-S) are identified as assembling on the CENP-A NAC. The CENP-A NAC is essential, as disruption of the complex causes errors of chromosome alignment and segregation that preclude cell survival despite continued centromere-derived mitotic checkpoint signalling.

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

The ABCs of centromeres

Nature Cell Biology News and Views (01 May 2006)

Loss of Dicer fowls up centromeres

Nature Cell Biology News and Views (01 Aug 2004)

 Top
Abstract
Previous | Next
Table of contents
Full textFull text
Download PDFDownload PDF
Send to a friendSend to a friend
rights and permissionsRights and permissions
Order commercial reprintsOrder commercial reprints
CrossRef lists 23 articles citing this articleCrossRef lists 23 articles citing this article
Save this linkSave this link
Figures & Tables
Supplementary info
See also: News and Views by Mellone et al.
Export citation
natureproducts

Search buyers guide:

 
Nature Cell Biology
ISSN: 1465-7392
EISSN: 1476-4679
Journal home | Advance online publication | Current issue | Archive | Press releases | For authors | Online submission | For referees | Free online issue | About the journal | Contact the journal | Subscribe | Advertising | work@npg | Reprints and permissions | About this site | For librarians
Nature Publishing Group, publisher of Nature, and other science journals and reference works©2006 Nature Publishing Group | Privacy policy