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. 2013 Apr;21(2):101-6.
doi: 10.1007/s10577-013-9347-y. Epub 2013 Apr 12.

Esperanto for histones: CENP-A, not CenH3, is the centromeric histone H3 variant

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Esperanto for histones: CENP-A, not CenH3, is the centromeric histone H3 variant

W C Earnshaw et al. Chromosome Res. 2013 Apr.

Abstract

The first centromeric protein identified in any species was CENP-A, a divergent member of the histone H3 family that was recognised by autoantibodies from patients with scleroderma-spectrum disease. It has recently been suggested to rename this protein CenH3. Here, we argue that the original name should be maintained both because it is the basis of a long established nomenclature for centromere proteins and because it avoids confusion due to the presence of canonical histone H3 at centromeres.

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