The dynamic centromere

Centromeres are fundamental chromosomal structures that ensure accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. Despite their conserved and essential role in maintaining genomic stability, centromeres are subject to rapid evolutionary change. At the heart of centromere identity is the histone H3 variant CENP-A, an epigenetic mark that defines and propagates active centromeres and is essential for their function. Recent evidence supports a rapid evolution of centromere DNA sequences but also suggests a certain degree of flexibility in CENP-A deposition and propagation. The phenomenon of centromere drift, recently observed in humans, highlights how the dynamic repositioning of CENP-A and associated epigenetic environment over time maintains a regulated equilibrium, ensuring centromere function despite positional variation. Understanding these processes is crucial for unraveling centromere dynamics and their broader implications for genome stability and evolution.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Chromosome Research

• Publication date

  2025-10-16

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1007/s10577-025-09779-xPMID 41099875PMCID 12532704
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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