Mapping of the Human Centromere Protein B Gene (CENPB) to Chromosome 20p13 by Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization

A specific chromosomal locus, the centromere, plays the key role in segregation of chromosomes to the daughter cells during mitosis and meiosis. The analysis of the protein components of the human centromere structure was facilitated by the discovery of anti-centromere antibodies in autoimmune disease patients. Recently, three major human antigens, 17 kDa (CENP-A), 80 kDa (CENP-B), and 140 kDa (CENP-C), have been identified as the target antigens for the anticentromere antibodies. CENP-B is one of the centromere DNA binding proteins constituting centromeric heterochromatin throughout the cell cycles. Using a panel of rodent/human hybrid DNA, the two centromere protein genes (CENPB and CENPC) have been mapped to human chromosomes 20 and 12, respectively. We report here a regional assignment of the CENP-B-coding gene (CENPB) on human chromosomes using fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques.