CENPL

Centromere protein L (CENPL or CENP-L) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CENPL gene. It is known for its role in forming the centromere and building a functional kinetochore during cell division. CENPL acts as part of the CENP-L/N complex and also contributes to larger centromeric groups such as CENPA-CAD and CENP-H/I/K/L/M subcomplexes, which belong to the constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN). These proteins work together to recognize CENPA-containing nucleosomes and help establish the site where the kinetochore will assemble, supporting accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis.

== Discovery and complex formation == CENP-L was identified as part of a broader effort to classify the proteins associated with CENPA, CENPH, and CENPI in vertebrate cells. These studies led to the discovery of several new CENP proteins including CENPL and CENPN, which were grouped with other newly described proteins into what is now known as CCAN. Within this complex, the CENP-L and CENP-N proteins join in a CENP-L/N complex, one of the four major CCAN subcomplexes. Structural studies in other organisms have shown that CENPL and CENPN form a stable heterodimer, and this overall arrangement is conserved across species. In human cells, biochemical work indicates that CENPL binds to the C-terminal region of CENPN to form the complete complex.