The centromere is a specialized region on the chromosome that directs equal chromosome segregation. Centromeres are usually not defined by DNA sequences alone. How centromere formation and function are determined by epigenetics is still not fully understood. Active centromeres are often marked by the presence of centromeric-specific histone H3 variant, centromere protein A (CENP-A). How CENP-A is assembled into the centromeric chromatin during the cell cycle and propagated to the next cell cycle or the next generation to maintain the centromere function has been intensively investigated. In this review, we summarize current understanding of how post-translational modifications of CENP-A and other centromere proteins, centromeric and pericentric histone modifications, non-coding transcription and transcripts contribute to centromere function, and discuss their intricate relationships and potential feedback mechanisms.

着丝粒是染色体上的一个特殊区域，负责指导染色体的平等分离。着丝粒通常不单独由 DNA 序列定义。表观遗传学如何决定着丝粒的形成和功能尚不完全清楚。活性着丝粒通常以着丝粒特异性组蛋白 H3 变体、着丝粒蛋白 A (CENP-A) 的存在为标志。 CENP-A如何在细胞周期中组装到着丝粒染色质中并传播到下一个细胞周期或下一代以维持着丝粒功能已得到深入研究。在这篇综述中，我们总结了目前对 CENP-A 和其他着丝粒蛋白的翻译后修饰、着丝粒和着丝粒周围组蛋白修饰、非编码转录和转录本如何促进着丝粒功能的理解，并讨论了它们复杂的关系和潜在的反馈机制。