Human chromosome pellicle antibody recognizing centromere protein-C (CENP-C), the main component of the kinetochore.

Recently the antichromosome antisera from several scleroderma patients have been found to recognize the pellicle of metaphase and anaphase chromosomes. In order to identify the pellicle components, we used these antichromosome antisera to screen a human embryonic cDNA library. The sequences of the positive clones are identical to the cDNA gene sequence of CENP-C (centromere protein C), a human centromere autoantigen. This result suggests that CENP-C is a component of the pellicle of human metaphase and anaphase chromosomes.