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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDGenome biology

Centromeric satellite expansion drives genome evolution in the snowy owl

  • Helle Tessand Baalsrud1
  • Benedicte Garmann-Aarhus2
  • Emily Louise Gilbert Enevoldsen3
  • Anders Kristian Krabberød4
  • Fischer5
  • Ave Tooming‐Klunderud3
  • Morten Skage3
  • Mariann Árnyasi6
  • Simen R. Sandve6
  • Kjetill S. Jakobsen3
  • Rasmus Nielsen7
  • Sanne Boessenkool8
1 more authors
  • Ole K. Tørresen4
8 affiliations
  1. 1Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway and Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway;
  2. 2Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway and Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway;
  3. 3Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway;
  4. 4. Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) , Department of Biosciences , University of Oslo , Norway
  5. 5Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 114, D-35392 Giessen, Germany and Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, D-42117 Wuppertal, Germany;
  6. 6Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway;
  7. 7Department of Integrative Biology and Department of Statistics, University of California Berkeley, California, USA. and Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.;
  8. 8Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Comparative genomic studies in birds have revealed that bird genomes are relatively repeat-poor and stable in terms of karyotype, size, and gene synteny/collinearity compared to other vertebrates. One notable exception is the owls, with cytogenetic studies demonstrating large variations in karyotypes and the evolution of unusual centromeric satellite repeats in some species. However, there has so far not been an investigation into genome architecture and repeat landscape of owls. RESULTS: Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly for the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus). We find that the repeat DNA content in the relatively large snowy owl genome (1.6 Gb) is among the highest reported for any bird genome to date (28.34% compared to an average of ~ 10% in other birds). The bulk of the snowy owl genomic repeat landscape consists of extensive centromeric satellite arrays that form large contiguous blocks across multiple chromosomes. These arrays represent one of the largest centromeric satellite expansions reported in birds and are consistent with rapid turnover and amplification of centromeric repeats. Using gene collinearity analyses we show that the position of the centromeres are not homologous with chicken centromeres, and are located in regions with collinearity breaks to other bird genomes due to chromosomal rearrangements. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support rapid satellite turnover at lineage-specific centromeres, which could have played a role in centromeric drive, reproductive isolation and speciation of the snowy owl. The extensive centromeric satellite arrays uncovered in this genome highlight centromere evolution as a potentially important driver of genome evolution in owls.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{baalsrud2026centromeric,
  title = {{Centromeric satellite expansion drives genome evolution in the snowy owl}},
  author = {Helle Tessand Baalsrud and Benedicte Garmann-Aarhus and Emily Louise Gilbert Enevoldsen and Anders Kristian Krabberød and Fischer and Ave Tooming‐Klunderud and Morten Skage and Mariann Árnyasi and Simen R. Sandve and Kjetill S. Jakobsen and Rasmus Nielsen and Sanne Boessenkool and Ole K. Tørresen},
  journal = {Genome biology},
  year = {2026},
  month = jun,
  doi = {10.1186/s13059-026-04175-y},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-026-04175-y},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Centromeric satellite expansion drives genome evolution in the snowy owl
AU  - Helle Tessand Baalsrud
AU  - Benedicte Garmann-Aarhus
AU  - Emily Louise Gilbert Enevoldsen
AU  - Anders Kristian Krabberød
AU  - Fischer
AU  - Ave Tooming‐Klunderud
AU  - Morten Skage
AU  - Mariann Árnyasi
AU  - Simen R. Sandve
AU  - Kjetill S. Jakobsen
AU  - Rasmus Nielsen
AU  - Sanne Boessenkool
AU  - Ole K. Tørresen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/30
JO  - Genome biology
DO  - 10.1186/s13059-026-04175-y
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-026-04175-y
AB  - BACKGROUND: Comparative genomic studies in birds have revealed that bird genomes are relatively repeat-poor and stable in terms of karyotype, size, and gene synteny/collinearity compared to other vertebrates. One notable exception is the owls, with cytogenetic studies demonstrating large variations in karyotypes and the evolution of unusual centromeric satellite repeats in some species. However, there has so far not been an investigation into genome architecture and repeat landscape of owls. RESULTS: Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly for the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus). We find that the repeat DNA content in the relatively large snowy owl genome (1.6 Gb) is among the highest reported for any bird genome to date (28.34% compared to an average of ~ 10% in other birds). The bulk of the snowy owl genomic repeat landscape consists of extensive centromeric satellite arrays that form large contiguous blocks across multiple chromosomes. These arrays represent one of the largest centromeric satellite expansions reported in birds and are consistent with rapid turnover and amplification of centromeric repeats. Using gene collinearity analyses we show that the position of the centromeres are not homologous with chicken centromeres, and are located in regions with collinearity breaks to other bird genomes due to chromosomal rearrangements. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support rapid satellite turnover at lineage-specific centromeres, which could have played a role in centromeric drive, reproductive isolation and speciation of the snowy owl. The extensive centromeric satellite arrays uncovered in this genome highlight centromere evolution as a potentially important driver of genome evolution in owls.
SN  - 1465-6906
SN  - 1465-6914
SN  - 1474-7596
SN  - 1474-760X
ER  -