Centromere Protein A (CENPA)

Centromeres are the differentiated chromosomal domains that specify the mitotic behavior of chromosomes. CENPA encodes a centromere protein which contains a histone H3 related histone fold domain that is required for targeting to the centromere. CENPA is proposed to be a component of a modified nucleosome or nucleosome-like structure in which it replaces 1 or both copies of conventional histone H3 in the (H3-H4)2 tetrameric core of the nucleosome particle.

Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms.During the initial formation of a centromere, localization of the CENP-A to the centromere is believed to be controlled by "centromeric" heterochromatin surrounding the centromere, and by a RNAi mechanism.