Centromere Protein O (CENPO)

CENPO is a subunit of a CENPH-CENPI-associated centromeric complex that targets CENPA to centromeres and is required for proper kinetochore function and mitotic progression.

CENPO as a component of the CENPH-CENPI centromeric complex. Deletion of Cenpo in a chicken B-cell line resulted in viable cells that grew more slowly than controls; knockout of CENPO in HeLa cells also reduced the rate of growth. Loss of CENPO in human and chicken cells did not alter the localization of other CENPH-CENPI centromeric complex components. Since cells deficient in CENPO were similar to those deficient in CENPP, CENPQ, and CENP50 (MLF1IP), Okada et al. (2006) suggested that these proteins form an accessory subcomplex within the CENPH-CENPI centromeric complex.