Scholars@Duke
Beth Ann Sullivan

Beth Ann Sullivan

James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Box 3054 DUMC, 361 CARL, Durham, NC 27710
ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5216-4603
213 Research Drive DUMC 3054, 361 CARL, Durham, NC 27710

Featured Works

Centromeres poised en pointe: CDKs put a hold on CENP-A assembly.

Journal article Dev Cell · January 17, 2012 Featured Publication Eukaryotic centromeres are propagated by incorporation of the centromere-specific histone CENP-A into centromeric chromatin. Silva et al. (2012) now show that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) hold the CENP-A assembly machinery in an inactive state until mit ... Full text Link to item Cite

Genomic size of CENP-A domain is proportional to total alpha satellite array size at human centromeres and expands in cancer cells.

Journal article Chromosome Res · May 2011 Featured Publication Human centromeres contain multi-megabase-sized arrays of alpha satellite DNA, a family of satellite DNA repeats based on a tandemly arranged 171 bp monomer. The centromere-specific histone protein CENP-A is assembled on alpha satellite DNA within the prima ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Epigenomics of centromere assembly and function.

Journal article Curr Opin Cell Biol · December 2010 Featured Publication The centromere is a complex chromosomal locus where the kinetochore is formed and microtubules attach during cell division. Centromere identity involves both genomic and sequence-independent (epigenetic) mechanisms. Current models for how centromeres are f ... Full text Link to item Cite

Telomere disruption results in non-random formation of de novo dicentric chromosomes involving acrocentric human chromosomes.

Journal article PLoS Genet · August 12, 2010 Featured Publication Genome rearrangement often produces chromosomes with two centromeres (dicentrics) that are inherently unstable because of bridge formation and breakage during cell division. However, mammalian dicentrics, and particularly those in humans, can be quite stab ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Histone modifications within the human X centromere region.

Journal article PLoS One · August 12, 2009 Featured Publication Human centromeres are multi-megabase regions of highly ordered arrays of alpha satellite DNA that are separated from chromosome arms by unordered alpha satellite monomers and other repetitive elements. Complexities in assembling such large repetitive regio ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Human centromeric chromatin is a dynamic chromosomal domain that can spread over noncentromeric DNA.

Journal article Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · March 14, 2006 Featured Publication Human centromeres are specialized chromatin domains containing the centromeric histone H3 variant CENP-A. CENP-A nucleosomes are interspersed with nucleosomes containing histone H3 dimethylated at lysine 4, distinguishing centromeric chromatin (CEN chromat ... Full text Link to item Cite

Centromeric chromatin exhibits a histone modification pattern that is distinct from both euchromatin and heterochromatin.

Journal article Nat Struct Mol Biol · November 2004 Featured Publication Post-translational histone modifications regulate epigenetic switching between different chromatin states. Distinct histone modifications, such as acetylation, methylation and phosphorylation, define different functional chromatin domains, and often do so ... Full text Link to item Cite

Stable dicentric X chromosomes with two functional centromeres.

Journal article Nat Genet · November 1998 Featured Publication Full text Link to item Cite