Recurrent Plant-Specific Duplications of KNL2 and its Conserved Function as a Kinetochore Assembly Factor

0561926 - ÚEB 2023 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Zuo, S. - Yadala, R. - Yang, Fen - Talbert, P. - Fuchs, J. - Schubert, V. - Ahmadli, U. - Rutten, T. - Pečinka, Aleš - Lysák, M. A. - Lermontova, I.
Recurrent Plant-Specific Duplications of KNL2 and its Conserved Function as a Kinetochore Assembly Factor.
Molecular Biology and Evolution. Roč. 39, č. 6 (2022), č. článku msac123. ISSN 0737-4038. E-ISSN 1537-1719
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_019/0000827; GA ČR(CZ) GA22-00871S
Institutional support: RVO:61389030
Keywords : Adaptive evolution * Cenh3 * Centromere * Endopolyploidy * Gene duplication * Kinetochore * Knl2
OECD category: Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3)
Impact factor: 10.7, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac123

KINETOCHORE NULL2 (KNL2) plays key role in the recognition of centromeres and new CENH3 deposition. To gain insight into the origin and diversification of the KNL2 gene, we reconstructed its evolutionary history in the plant kingdom. Our results indicate that the KNL2 gene in plants underwent three independent ancient duplications in ferns, grasses, and eudicots. Additionally, we demonstrated that previously unclassified KNL2 genes could be divided into two clades ?KNL2 and ?KNL2 in eudicots and ?KNL2 and ?KNL2 in grasses, respectively. KNL2s of all clades encode the conserved SANTA domain, but only the ?KNL2 and ?KNL2 groups additionally encode the CENPC-k motif. In the more numerous eudicot sequences, signatures of positive selection were found in both ?KNL2 and ?KNL2 clades, suggesting recent or ongoing adaptation. The confirmed centromeric localization of ?KNL2 and mutant analysis suggests that it participates in loading of new CENH3, similarly to ?KNL2. A high rate of seed abortion was found in heterozygous ?knl2 plants and the germinated homozygous mutants did not develop beyond the seedling stage. Taken together, our study provides a new understanding of the evolutionary diversification of the plant kinetochore assembly gene KNL2, and suggests that the plant-specific duplicated KNL2 genes are involved in centromere and/or kinetochore assembly for preserving genome stability.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0334349