New research reveals that centromeres, which are responsible for proper cell division, can rapidly reorganize over short time scales. Biologists at the University of Rochester are calling a discovery they made in a mysterious region of the chromosome known as the centromere a potential game-changer in the field of chromosome biology.
“We’re really excited about this work,” says Amanda Larracuente, the Nathaniel and Helen Wisch Professor of Biology, whose lab oversaw the research that led to the findings, which appear in PLOS Biology.
The discovery involves an intricate and seemingly carefully choreographed genetic tug-of-war between elements in the centromere, which is responsible for proper cell division. Instead of storing genes, centromeres anchor proteins that move chromosomes around the cell as it splits. If a centromere fails to function, cells may divide with too few or too many chromosomes.
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