All around centromeres: understanding the impact of the transition to holocentricity in genome evolution and organization

• Applicant: André Marques, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Evolution and Systematics of Plants and Fungi ; Plant Genetics and Genomics
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 497639989

Most studied and sequenced organisms have monocentric chromosomes, visible as primary constriction during metaphase. However, in independent eukaryotic lineages, species with holocentric chromosomes exist. Thus, both genome and cell-division related adaptations are expected to be found in such holocentromere-based genomes. In my team we want to address these questions by providing a comparative analysis of high-quality chromosome-level genomes for several holocentric plants. Incredibly, in a single clade of the holocentric sedge genus Rhynchospora we found three different genomic features in the first three genomes sequenced. Solid evidences for a not-yet known genome plasticity likely deriving from the centromere structure in these organisms reveal a new model for genome function and evolution. In this project, I aim to broaden our mainly monocentric chromosome-biased knowledge about genome function and evolution mechanisms related to the transition to holocentricity in several plant clades. As a starting point my team will extend the number of chromosome-level assemblies for new 20 species, including samples from all holocentric plant clades and also some closest monocentric relatives. This will be the first study to provide a deep knowledge about the impact of transition to holocentricity on genome evolution and organization.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants