THE MAMMALIAN CENTROMERE - ITS MOLECULAR ARCHITECTURE

The DNA and protein composition of the centromeric domains in mammalia n chromosomes is now relatively well characterised. The major families of repeated DNAs, i.e., the simple-sequence and alphoids in man and t he satellite sequences (both minor and major) in the mouse have been s equenced and long-range maps using pulse-field gels of some centromere s have been carried out. Autoimmune antibodies have provided an insigh t into some of the proteins which interact with these DNA sequences. A lthough the individual components of the mammalian centromere may have been identified, how they interact with each other to give the functi onal structure visualised by electron microscopy is yet to be determin ed. This review examines our understanding of these separate component s.