Centromeres are essential regions of chromosomes that ensure accurate DNA inheritance during cell division. In female meiosis, their asymmetric division can allow some centromeres to bias their transmission to the egg. Although this has been observed in many species, the DNA sequences responsible remain unclear. Mammalian centromeres often contain CENP-B boxes, yet their exact role is unknown. Another open question is how centromeres are preserved in sperm, where most histones are replaced by protamines but key CENP-A nucleosomes must be retained for proper inheritance. To study these problems, we examined whether histone acetylation, which promotes histone loss, occurs at centromeres. Our results suggest centromeric histones are protected from acetylation. We also created a system to test whether CENP-A can persist when protamines are artificially introduced. Together, these approaches provide new tools to explore how DNA elements and chromatin modifications shape centromere function and inheritance.