Analysis of epigenetic modifications in the chicken cells

In vertebrate cells, centromeres are specified epigenetically through the deposition of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A. Although deposition of CENP-A-containing nucleosomes is critical for centromere specification, it remains unknown whether additional epigenetic features of centromeric chromatin are required for centromere specification and/or kinetochore assembly. To identify centromere-specific histone modifications, we examined histone modifications at chicken centromeres, which lack highly repetitive sequences using ChIP-seq analysis. Through these analyses, we will understand that detailed molecular mechanisms of the centromere specification and the kinetochore assembly.