Evolutionary dynamics of the pan-centromere architecture in oaks

Lineage-specific expansion of QuCEN146 satellite in oaks is linked to centromere turnover, displacing ancestral LTR-rich sequences into flanking regions across >1,300 candidate centromeres.

• Why it matters: Rapid centromere DNA evolution conflicts with the need for stable chromosome segregation, and the mechanisms shaping centromeric sequence landscapes remain unclear in forest trees.
• What they did: The authors analyzed genomic and epigenomic architecture from >1,300 candidate centromeres across 111 high-quality Quercus genomes, then used population-scale analyses in Quercus serrata and Quercus variabilis.
• The result: In Q. serrata, satellite-rich centromeres show extensive polymorphism from array expansion/contraction, strand-orientation shifts, and interspecific introgression, while Q. variabilis LTR-rich centromeres show extremely low polymorphism and high collinearity.

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