Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function
Centromeres are essential genetic elements that enable spindle microtubule attachment for chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. While this function is preserved across species, centromeres display an array of dynamic features, including: (1) rapidly evolving DNA; (2) wide evolutionary d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Genes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/8/912 |
| _version_ | 1797559254089990144 |
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| author | Elisa Balzano Simona Giunta |
| author_facet | Elisa Balzano Simona Giunta |
| author_sort | Elisa Balzano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Centromeres are essential genetic elements that enable spindle microtubule attachment for chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. While this function is preserved across species, centromeres display an array of dynamic features, including: (1) rapidly evolving DNA; (2) wide evolutionary diversity in size, shape and organization; (3) evidence of mutational processes to generate homogenized repetitive arrays that characterize centromeres in several species; (4) tolerance to changes in position, as in the case of neocentromeres; and (5) intrinsic fragility derived by sequence composition and secondary DNA structures. Centromere drive underlies rapid centromere DNA evolution due to the “selfish” pursuit to bias meiotic transmission and promote the propagation of stronger centromeres. Yet, the origins of other dynamic features of centromeres remain unclear. Here, we review our current understanding of centromere evolution and plasticity. We also detail the mutagenic processes proposed to shape the divergent genetic nature of centromeres. Changes to centromeres are not simply evolutionary relics, but ongoing shifts that on one side promote centromere flexibility, but on the other can undermine centromere integrity and function with potential pathological implications such as genome instability. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:42:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-69b6f7c639c44974bed35ea0cc55ddc1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:42:48Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genes |
| spelling | doaj.art-69b6f7c639c44974bed35ea0cc55ddc12023-11-20T09:38:37ZengMDPI AGGenes2073-44252020-08-0111891210.3390/genes11080912Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved FunctionElisa Balzano0Simona Giunta1Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, ItalyLaboratory of Chromosome and Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USACentromeres are essential genetic elements that enable spindle microtubule attachment for chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. While this function is preserved across species, centromeres display an array of dynamic features, including: (1) rapidly evolving DNA; (2) wide evolutionary diversity in size, shape and organization; (3) evidence of mutational processes to generate homogenized repetitive arrays that characterize centromeres in several species; (4) tolerance to changes in position, as in the case of neocentromeres; and (5) intrinsic fragility derived by sequence composition and secondary DNA structures. Centromere drive underlies rapid centromere DNA evolution due to the “selfish” pursuit to bias meiotic transmission and promote the propagation of stronger centromeres. Yet, the origins of other dynamic features of centromeres remain unclear. Here, we review our current understanding of centromere evolution and plasticity. We also detail the mutagenic processes proposed to shape the divergent genetic nature of centromeres. Changes to centromeres are not simply evolutionary relics, but ongoing shifts that on one side promote centromere flexibility, but on the other can undermine centromere integrity and function with potential pathological implications such as genome instability.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/8/912centromererepetitive DNAmutagenesiscentromere evolutionHORschromosome instability |
| spellingShingle | Elisa Balzano Simona Giunta Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function Genes centromere repetitive DNA mutagenesis centromere evolution HORs chromosome instability |
| title | Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function |
| title_full | Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function |
| title_fullStr | Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function |
| title_full_unstemmed | Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function |
| title_short | Centromeres under Pressure: Evolutionary Innovation in Conflict with Conserved Function |
| title_sort | centromeres under pressure evolutionary innovation in conflict with conserved function |
| topic | centromere repetitive DNA mutagenesis centromere evolution HORs chromosome instability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/8/912 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elisabalzano centromeresunderpressureevolutionaryinnovationinconflictwithconservedfunction AT simonagiunta centromeresunderpressureevolutionaryinnovationinconflictwithconservedfunction |