HJURP is a 748 amino acid protein that is expressed in thymus, placenta, small intestine, liver, skeletal muscle, bone marrow and colon. When histone H3-like variant CENP-A nucleosomes are assembled, HJURP localizes in centromeres during late telophase and early G1 phase, and localizes to the nucleolus during S phase. Considered a centromeric protein, HJURP plays a central role in the incorporation and maintenance of CENP-A at centromeres. HJURP also acts as a specific chaperone for CENP-A and is required for the incorporation of newly synthesized CENP-A molecules into nucleosomes at replicated centromeres. HJURP is considered an indispensable factor for chromosomal stability in immortalized cancer cells and is a potential novel therapeutic target for the development of anticancer drugs.