Centrosome cohesion, the joining of the two centrosomes of a cell, is increasingly appreciated as a major regulator of cell functions such as Golgi organization and cilia positioning. One major element of centrosome cohesion is the centrosome linker that consists of a growing number of proteins. The timely disassembly of the centrosome linker enables centrosomes to separate and assemble a functional bipolar mitotic spindle that is crucial for maintaining genomic integrity. Exciting new findings link centrosome linker defects to cell transformation and genetic disorders. We review recent data on the molecular mechanisms of the assembly and disassembly of the centrosome linker, and discuss how defects in the proper execution of these processes cause DNA damage and genomic instability leading to disease.

中心体凝聚力，即细胞两个中心体的结合，日益被人们视为细胞功能（例如高尔基体组织和纤毛定位）的主要调节剂。中心体凝聚力的一个主要因素是由越来越多的蛋白质组成的中心体接头。及时拆卸中心体接头使中心体能够分离和组装功能性双极有丝分裂纺锤体，这对维持基因组完整性至关重要。令人兴奋的新发现将中心体接头缺陷与细胞转化和遗传疾病联系起来。我们审查了有关中心体接头组装和拆卸的分子机制的最新数据，并讨论了在这些过程的适当执行中的缺陷如何导致DNA损伤和导致疾病的基因组不稳定。