Centromeres cross over, a lot

Centromeres cross over, a lot

A pair of adhesion receptors work together to fi ne-tune suppression of RhoA and promote membrane protrusion, say Bass et al. During cell migration, the actin cyto-skeleton regulator, RhoA, must be alternately inhibited (to allow the leading membrane edge to protrude) and reactivated (to pull up the trailing end of the cell from behind). Inhibition occurs when a receptor called α5β1 integrin, w...

Centromeres Convert but Don't Cross

A long-standing problem in chromosome biology concerns the dynamic nature of centromeres. These chromosomal sites assemble the protein machines called kinetochores that connect chromosomes to the spindle microtubules for segregation to daughter cells during mitosis and meiosis. In multicelluar eukaryotes, centromeres are typically composed of highly homogeneous tandem repeats that evolve rapidl...

Nanotechnology--a lot of hype over almost nothing?

Centromeres

Also known as... The terms ‘centromere’ and ‘kinetochore’ are often used synonymously but it is best to consider the centromere as the DNA and chromatin on which the kinetochore is assembled and the kinetochore as the protein machine, including centromeric chromatin, which mediates attachment to the spindle. Centromeres are found near the centre of the chromosome on metacentric chromosomes, but...

Centromeres

Centromeres, chromosomal regions that become physically linked to the spindle during cell division, ensure equal division of genetic material between daughter cells. They are ubiquitous and essential in eukaryotic life. In this primer, we ask the questions 'What defines a functional centromere?' and 'What do all centromeres have in common?' To address these questions we highlight what is known ...