Impact of parasitic lifestyle and different types of centromere organization on chromosome and genome evolution in the plant genus Cuscuta

0535085 - BC 2022 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Neumann, Pavel - Oliveira, Ludmila - Čížková, Jana - Jang, Tae-Soo - Klemme, Sonja - Novák, Petr - Stelmach, K. - Koblížková, Andrea - Doležel, Jaroslav - Macas, Jiří
Impact of parasitic lifestyle and different types of centromere organization on chromosome and genome evolution in the plant genus Cuscuta.
New Phytologist. Roč. 229, č. 4 (2021), s. 2365-2377. ISSN 0028-646X. E-ISSN 1469-8137
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-09750S; GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_019/0000827
Institutional support: RVO:60077344 ; RVO:61389030
Keywords : centromere * Convolvulaceae * Cuscuta * genome size * holocentric chromosomes * monocentric chromosomes * repetitive DNA
OECD category: Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3); Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3) (UEB-Q)
Impact factor: 10.323, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.17003

The parasitic genus Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae) is exceptional among plants with respect to centromere organization, including both monocentric and holocentric chromosomes, and substantial variation in genome size and chromosome number. We investigated 12 species representing the diversity of the genus in a phylogenetic context to reveal the molecular and evolutionary processes leading to the diversification of their genomes.

We measured genome sizes and investigated karyotypes and centromere organization using molecular cytogenetic techniques. We also performed low-pass whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of repetitive DNA composition.

A remarkable 102-fold variation in genome sizes (342-34 734 Mbp/1C) was detected for monocentric Cuscuta species, while genomes of holocentric species were of moderate sizes (533-1545 Mbp/1C). The genome size variation was primarily driven by the differential accumulation of LTR-retrotransposons and satellite DNA. The transition to holocentric chromosomes in the subgenus Cuscuta was associated with loss of histone H2A phosphorylation and elimination of centromeric retrotransposons. In addition, basic chromosome number of holocentric species (x = 7) was smaller than in monocentric (x = 15 or 16).

We demonstrated that the transition to holocentricity in Cuscuta was accompanied by significant changes in epigenetic marks, chromosome number and the repetitive DNA sequence composition.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0320779