Centromeric protein A, known as CENPA, interacts with epigenetically altered centromeric RNA, thereby facilitating the division of cancer cells. This finding is reported in a recent study published in Cell which sheds light on the importance of m6A modifications (N6-methyladenosine) on centromeric RNA in cancer cells and highlights CENPA’s role as an enzyme that reads and binds to these modifications.

CENPA, a histone protein H3 variant specific to centromeres, serves as an epigenetic marker and is crucial in defining the location of centromeres on chromosomes as well as their formation and function. Centromeres are specialized regions of chromosomes that are vital to ensure proper distribution of the genetic information on daughter cells in the process of cell division.

In their research, the authors of the study discovered higher levels of m6A modifications on centromeric RNA in cancerous cells compared to normal cells and demonstrated that CENPA binds specifically to m6A-modified centromeric RNA. This binding is essential for maintaining the association of CENPA with the centromere during the S phase of the cell cycle, which is critical for accurate chromosome segregation. The researchers showed that disruption of the interplay between CENPA and m6A-modified centromeric RNA compromises centromere integrity and impairs tumor growth. This mechanism might thus be a target for future novel strategies in cancer treatment.