Structural biology of the vertebrate kinetochore complex CENP-T/W and CENP-S/X complexes

在真核生物中，着丝点建立在染色体的着丝区，在细胞分裂时连接染色体和微管。为了了解其分子机制，我们分析了CENP-SX和CENP-TW配合物。两者都与组蛋白相似，但它们彼此之间更相似。它们形成了稳定的CENP-TWSX四聚体。对CENP-TWSX四聚体的生化分析表明，其DNA结合特性与CENP-TW或CENP-SX不同。这些分析表明，CENP-TWSX复合物在真核着丝粒上形成独特的染色质

In eukaryotes, kinetochore is built at the centromeric region of chromosomes and they connect chromosome and microtubules during cell division. To understand the molecular mechanisms, we analyzed CENP-SX and CENP-TW complexes. Both were similar to histones but they were more similar to each other. They formed a stable CENP-TWSX tetramer. Biochemical analysis of CENP-TWSX tetramer revealed that its DNA binding property is different from that of CENP-TW or CENP-SX. These analyses suggest that CENP-TWSX complex forms a unique chromatin at eukaryotic centromere