The dark side of centromeres: types, causes and consequences of structural abnormalities implicating centromeric DNA.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30337534.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-06545-y and PMC identifier 6194107.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Centromeres are the chromosomal domains required to ensure faithful transmission of the genome during cell division. They have a central role in preventing aneuploidy, by orchestrating the assembly of several components required for chromosome separation. However, centromeres also adopt a complex structure that makes them susceptible to being sites of chromosome rearrangements. Therefore, preservation of centromere integrity is a difficult, but important task for the cell. In this review, we discuss how centromeres could potentially be a source of genome instability and how centromere aberrations and rearrangements are linked with human diseases such as cancer.
Medical subject headings
- Centromere
- DNA