Centromere deletion in Cryptococcus deuterogattii results in neocentromeres, which span actively expressed genes and at elevated temperatures cen10∆ mutants are unstable leading to chromosome fusion and silencing of the neocentromere.
Single molecule FISH analysis defines the behavior of centromere-derived alpha-satellite transcripts in intact human cells and reveals a critical role for centromere-nucleolar contacts in repressing alpha-satellite transcription.
The centromeres in Malassezia species, by breakage or inactivation, facilitate genome rearrangements that can result in varying karyotypes and contribute to the evolution of these species.
CenH3, the defining component of centromeres in almost all eukaryotes, was independently lost in four insect lineages that transitioned from monocentricity to holocentricity.
A non-coding RNA-based targeting mechanism could potentially epigenetically maintain specialized chromatin structures, such as the centromere, in vivo.