The division of cells is a highly-regulated and complex process which requires the organised collaboration of a multitude of different cellular components. Although the basic principles are known, many components and their workings are still unidentified. Scientists from the project group “Kinetochore Biology” at the IPK in Gatersleben are shedding light on the diverse landscape of kinetochores. Kinetochores are required for the interaction with the spindle apparatus and segregation of the chromosomes. Within an international collaboration, the scientists recently uncovered a chaperone protein which affects loading of CenH3 to centromeres—a crucial step for the assembly of the kinetochores. Knowledge about the regulation of centromeres will help develop methods to speed-up the breeding process of crop plants.
Click here for original story, Defining the centromere
Source: Phys.org