An atlas of eukaryotic centromere architecture reveals recurrent evolutionary dynamics
- 1University of Cambridge
Abstract
Centromeres evolved at the root of eukaryotes to segregate chromosomes during cell division. Despite their ancient origin, centromeric DNA sequences evolve rapidly and adopt diverse architectures, including point centromeres, satellite arrays, transposon clusters, and holocentrics. To analyse centromere evolution at a broad scale, we characterised architectures across 325 diverse Darwin Tree of Life genome assemblies. Centromere architecture is evolutionarily labile, and similar configurations arise independently across divergent lineages. In plants and animals, we modelled centromere evolution as a recurrent cycle, in which satellite- and transposon-based architectures interconvert, with independent origins of holocentricity. We curated >23 million satellite repeats comprising 263 families from 165 species. Despite sequence divergence between satellite families, higher order repeats are prevalent, indicating constraint on repeat architecture rather than primary sequence. Satellite arrays are heavily invaded by diverse transposon families, consistent with convergent adaptation to the centromeric niche. In 89 species, transposons themselves constitute the primary centromere structure. We observed centrophilic transposons forming tandem arrays, suggesting mechanisms for satellite regeneration. Our sample includes five independent origins of holocentricity in plants and animals, which vary in association with periodic satellite arrays. We propose that genetic instability, centrophilic transposition, and transmission distortion promote recurrent centromere architectural interconversions during evolution.
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BibTeX
@misc{wlodzimierz2026atlas,
title = {{An atlas of eukaryotic centromere architecture reveals recurrent evolutionary dynamics}},
author = {P. Wlodzimierz and E. Perez-Roman and J. Gonzalez Isa and M. Hong and M. Zhang and L. Oliveira and K. Jenike and R. Burns and P. Sierra and M. Heuberger and C. Zhou and S. Koppera and M. Becker and N. Gorringe and P. Novak and Y. Mata-Sucre and G. M. Formenti and F. Karam Teixeira and I. A. Drinnenberg and I. Kontoyiannis and K. S. Jaron and M. Uliano da Silva and A. Marques and J. Macas and M. Blaxter and R. Durbin and A. Bousios and I. R. Henderson},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.17.752431},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752431v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - An atlas of eukaryotic centromere architecture reveals recurrent evolutionary dynamics
AU - P. Wlodzimierz
AU - E. Perez-Roman
AU - J. Gonzalez Isa
AU - M. Hong
AU - M. Zhang
AU - L. Oliveira
AU - K. Jenike
AU - R. Burns
AU - P. Sierra
AU - M. Heuberger
AU - C. Zhou
AU - S. Koppera
AU - M. Becker
AU - N. Gorringe
AU - P. Novak
AU - Y. Mata-Sucre
AU - G. M. Formenti
AU - F. Karam Teixeira
AU - I. A. Drinnenberg
AU - I. Kontoyiannis
AU - K. S. Jaron
AU - M. Uliano da Silva
AU - A. Marques
AU - J. Macas
AU - M. Blaxter
AU - R. Durbin
AU - A. Bousios
AU - I. R. Henderson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.17.752431
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752431v1
AB - Centromeres evolved at the root of eukaryotes to segregate chromosomes during cell division. Despite their ancient origin, centromeric DNA sequences evolve rapidly and adopt diverse architectures, including point centromeres, satellite arrays, transposon clusters, and holocentrics. To analyse centromere evolution at a broad scale, we characterised architectures across 325 diverse Darwin Tree of Life genome assemblies. Centromere architecture is evolutionarily labile, and similar configurations arise independently across divergent lineages. In plants and animals, we modelled centromere evolution as a recurrent cycle, in which satellite- and transposon-based architectures interconvert, with independent origins of holocentricity. We curated >23 million satellite repeats comprising 263 families from 165 species. Despite sequence divergence between satellite families, higher order repeats are prevalent, indicating constraint on repeat architecture rather than primary sequence. Satellite arrays are heavily invaded by diverse transposon families, consistent with convergent adaptation to the centromeric niche. In 89 species, transposons themselves constitute the primary centromere structure. We observed centrophilic transposons forming tandem arrays, suggesting mechanisms for satellite regeneration. Our sample includes five independent origins of holocentricity in plants and animals, which vary in association with periodic satellite arrays. We propose that genetic instability, centrophilic transposition, and transmission distortion promote recurrent centromere architectural interconversions during evolution.
ER -