Abstract
Human neocentromeres are fully functional centromeres that arise naturally in non-centromeric regions devoid of α-satellite DNA. We have successfully produced a series of minichromosomes by telomere-associated truncation of a marker chromosome mardel(10) containing a neocentromere. The resulting minichromosomes are either linear or circular in nature, and range in size from approximately 650 kb to 2 Mb. These minichromosomes exhibit full centromeric activity, bind to essential centromere proteins, and are mitotically stable over many generations. They provide a useful system for dissecting the functional domains of complex eukaryotic centromeres and as vectors for therapeutic gene delivery.
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Wong, L., Saffery, R. & Choo, K. Construction of neocentromere-based human minichromosomes for gene delivery and centromere studies. Gene Ther 9, 724–726 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gt.3301756
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gt.3301756
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