In most species, the centromere is comprised of repetitive DNA sequences, which rapidly evolve. Paradoxically, centromeres fulfill an essential function during mitosis, as they are the chromosomal sites wherein, through the kinetochore, the mitotic spindles bind. It is now generally accepted that centromeres are transcribed, and that such transcription is associated with a broad range of functions. More than a decade of work on this topic has shown that centromeric transcripts are found across the eukaryotic tree and associate with heterochromatin formation, chromatin structure, kinetochore structure, centromeric protein loading, and inner centromere signaling. In this review, we discuss the conservation of small and long non-coding centromeric RNAs, their associations with various centromeric functions, and their potential roles in disease.

中文翻译：

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着丝粒转录：一把保守的瑞士军刀

在大多数物种中，着丝粒由快速进化的重复 DNA 序列组成。矛盾的是，着丝粒在有丝分裂过程中发挥着重要作用，因为它们是有丝分裂纺锤体通过着丝粒结合的染色体位点。现在人们普遍认为着丝粒是转录的，并且这种转录与广泛的功能相关。十多年来关于这一主题的研究表明，着丝粒转录本遍布真核树，并与异染色质形成、染色质结构、着丝粒结构、着丝粒蛋白负载和内部着丝粒信号传导相关。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了小和长非编码着丝粒 RNA 的保守性、它们与各种着丝粒功能的关联以及它们在疾病中的潜在作用。