Editing Centromere (section)

== Centromeric aberrations ==
In rare cases, [[neocentromere]]s can form at new sites on a chromosome as a result of a repositioning of the centromere. This phenomenon is most well known from human clinical studies and there are currently over 90 known human neocentromeres identified on 20 different chromosomes.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Marshall OJ, Chueh AC, Wong LH, Choo KH | title = Neocentromeres: new insights into centromere structure, disease development, and karyotype evolution | journal = American Journal of Human Genetics | volume = 82 | issue = 2 | pages = 261–282 | date = February 2008 | pmid = 18252209 | pmc = 2427194 | doi = 10.1016/j.ajhg.2007.11.009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Warburton PE | title = Chromosomal dynamics of human neocentromere formation | journal = Chromosome Research | volume = 12 | issue = 6 | pages = 617–626 | year = 2004 | pmid = 15289667 | doi = 10.1023/B:CHRO.0000036585.44138.4b | s2cid = 29472338 }}</ref> The formation of a neocentromere must be coupled with the inactivation of the previous centromere, since chromosomes with two functional centromeres ([[Dicentric chromosome]]) will result in chromosome breakage during mitosis. In some unusual cases human neocentromeres have been observed to form spontaneously on fragmented chromosomes. Some of these new positions were originally euchromatic and lack alpha [[satellite DNA]] altogether. [[Neocentromere]]s lack the repetitive structure seen in normal centromeres which suggest that centromere formation is mainly controlled [[Epigenetics|epigenetically]].<ref name="Rocchi 59–67">{{cite journal | vauthors = Rocchi M, Archidiacono N, Schempp W, Capozzi O, Stanyon R | title = Centromere repositioning in mammals | journal = Heredity | volume = 108 | issue = 1 | pages = 59–67 | date = January 2012 | pmid = 22045381 | pmc = 3238114 | doi = 10.1038/hdy.2011.101 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Tolomeo D, Capozzi O, Stanyon RR, Archidiacono N, D'Addabbo P, Catacchio CR, Purgato S, Perini G, Schempp W, Huddleston J, Malig M, Eichler EE, Rocchi M | display-authors = 6 | title = Epigenetic origin of evolutionary novel centromeres | journal = Scientific Reports | volume = 7 | issue = 1 | pages = 41980 | date = February 2017 | pmid = 28155877 | pmc = 5290474 | doi = 10.1038/srep41980 | bibcode = 2017NatSR...741980T }}</ref> Over time a neocentromere can accumulate repetitive elements and mature into what is known as an evolutionary new centromere. There are several well known examples in primate chromosomes where the centromere position is different from the human centromere of the same chromosome and is thought to be evolutionary new centromeres.<ref name="Rocchi 59–67"/> Centromere repositioning and the formation of evolutionary new centromeres has been suggested to be a mechanism of [[speciation]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Brown JD, O'Neill RJ | title = Chromosomes, conflict, and epigenetics: chromosomal speciation revisited | journal = Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics | volume = 11 | issue = 1 | pages = 291–316 | date = September 2010 | pmid = 20438362 | doi = 10.1146/annurev-genom-082509-141554 }}</ref>

Centromere proteins are also the autoantigenic target for some [[anti-nuclear antibodies]], such as [[anti-centromere antibodies]].