Cyclical evolution of centromere architecture across 193 eukaryote species

Cyclical evolution of centromere architecture across 193 eukaryote species | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Biological Sciences - Article Cyclical evolution of centromere architecture across 193 eukaryote species Ian Henderson, Piotr Włodzimierz, Estela Perez-Roman, Michael Hong, and 17 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7008504/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Eukaryotic chromosomes rely on centromeres for attachment to spindle microtubules and segregation during cell division, yet exhibit a paradoxical diversity of architectures, including satellite arrays, transposon clusters, and holocentricity1–3. To explore the evolution of centromere diversity, we analyzed 193 Darwin Tree of Life genomes from a range of plant, animal, and fungal eukaryotes4. Nearly half of the species exhibited satellite array architecture, but this pattern showed frequent gains and losses across the phylogeny. While satellites vary in their primary DNA sequence between species, their higher-order repeat structures are conserved, implying shared recombination dynamics across eukaryotes. The satellite arrays were frequently invaded by diverse centrophilic transposons, from both RNA and DNA classes. In 54 species, transposons themselves dominate the centromere. Recombination following integration has generated transposon-tandem repeats at multiple scales, revealing mechanisms to recreate satellite-like structures after invasion. We also analyzed 29 holocentric plants and animals, which varied in the presence of periodic satellite arrays, and the centromeric histone CENP-A/CENH3. Our findings suggest that eukaryotic centromeres have repeatedly transitioned between satellite- and transposon-dominated architectures, alongside multiple independent origins of holocentricity. These results are consistent with widespread meiotic drive driving cyclical centromere turnover5,6, despite the conserved requirement for accurate chromosome segregation. Biological sciences/Evolution/Evolutionary genetics Biological sciences/Genetics/Genomics/Genome evolution Biological sciences/Genetics/Genomics/Mobile elements Biological sciences/Genetics/Genomics/Comparative genomics Biological sciences/Molecular biology/Chromosomes/Centromeres Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7008504","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Biological Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":478436895,"identity":"c24ce77e-a071-40b9-8491-1ff975cec0d6","order_by":0,"name":"Ian 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