Characterization and evolution of centromere in nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne

Abstract

Centromeres are chromosomal regions responsible for the faithful segregation of chromosomes. In contrast to conserved function, the centromere protein (CenH3) and associated repetitive DNA evolve rapidly. However, our study revealed preservation of the αCenH3 variant along with conserved 19-bp box sequence in rapidly evolved centromeric DNA in asexual Meloidoygne nematodes. A similar approach was applied to the beetle Tribolium castaneum and showed a metapolycentric centromere organization with extended centromere regions. Long-range Nanopore sequencing is optimized for further study of centromeric arrays in the genomes of Meloidogyne and Tribolium species