The function, structure and dynamic organization of centromeres and kinetochores

Zhen Dou , Ran Liu, Jianye Zang, Xuebiao Yao, and Xing Liu

1MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;

2Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Anhui Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics and Chemical Biology,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China

Graphical abstract

Schematic representation of a mitotic spindle and the organization of core proteins of inner and outer kinetochore.

Public summary

■ Centromere is a vital macromolecular machinery for cell renewal quality control.

■ CENP-A nucleosome is the hallmark and foundation for centromere and kinetochore assembly.

■ Centromere and kinetochore core complex CCAN undergoes dynamic remodeling from CENP-A nucleosome-elicited loading to DNA-centric gripping upon assembly.

■ The excitement and challenge ahead are to illuminate the spatiotemporal characteristics of CCAN assembly in situ at atomic resolution.