# Assembly and epigenetic inheritance of the human centromere

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $331,800

## Abstract

Chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy are commons characteristics of cancer.
Centromeres are chromosomal loci that define the site of kinetochore formation and
ensure faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis. Centromeric identity is
epigenetically specified by the incorporation of CENP-A nucleosomes, independent of
DNA sequence. Because of the chromatin nature of the centromere, the processes that
govern CENP-A nucleosome assembly and nucleosome stability are essential to the
maintenance of centromere specification. New CENP-A must be added to the centromere
in a consistent and faithful manner during each cell cycle to maintain centromeric
chromatin and centromere identity. New CENP-A nucleosomes are added to the
centromere during G1 by the CENP-A specific chaperone HJURP, that is recruited to
centromere by the Mis18 complex. Although unlike canonical histone H3, new CENP-A
is not deposited during DNA replication; however, CENP-A nucleosomes are retained at
the centromere during DNA replication to ensure the transmittance of the centromeric
locus. The mechanism by which CENP-A nucleosomes are stably retained when
chromatin is disassembled during DNA replication will be addressed in this application.
Centromeres are located within the alpha-satellite DNA repeats in most individuals;
however, several neocentromeres have been identified where centromere proteins
relocate and function at non-centromeric sites. This application will address the ability of
non-centromeric sites to acquire centromeric identity in order to understand the
chromatin and genomic contributions to centromere function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10463586
- **Project number:** 5R01GM111907-09
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel Richard Foltz
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $331,800
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10463586

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10463586, Assembly and epigenetic inheritance of the human centromere (5R01GM111907-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10463586. Licensed CC0.

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