Centromere Protein C (CENPC)

Centromere protein C 1 is a centromere autoantigen and a component of the inner kinetochore plate. The protein is required for maintaining proper kinetochore size and a timely transition to anaphase. A putative pseudogene exists on chromosome 12.

The predicted 943-amino acid CENPC1 protein has an isoelectric point of 9.4 and a calculated molecular mass of 107 kD; its observed mass of 140 kD by SDS-PAGE is due to anomalous migration. The inactive centromere, lacking a constriction, also lacked CENPC. CENPC therefore seemed to be necessary for active centromeres, and the absence of CENPC appeared to be a marker of centromere inactivation.