Centromeres are essential for proper cell division. During mitosis, a transient structure called the kinetochore is assembled onto centromeric chromatin, which mediates the interaction between DNA and the mitotic spindle. Intriguingly, although centromeres are directly embedded in chromatin, specific DNA sequences are neither necessary nor sufficient for centromere function. This is best exemplified by the rare occurrence, within the human population, of neocentromeres: functional centromeres that have repositioned to atypical loci on the chromosome.
