Pioneers of chromosome elimination
Epigenetic traits are persistent cellular and organismal properties that do not result from changes in DNA sequence. One such property involves transmission of chromosomes, which entails the formation of highly specialized chromatin structures, the kinetochores, on selected chromosomal regions, call...
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| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Epigenetics and Epigenomics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/freae.2025.1648270/full |
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| author | Luca Comai Mohan Prem Anand Marimuthu |
| author_facet | Luca Comai Mohan Prem Anand Marimuthu |
| author_sort | Luca Comai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Epigenetic traits are persistent cellular and organismal properties that do not result from changes in DNA sequence. One such property involves transmission of chromosomes, which entails the formation of highly specialized chromatin structures, the kinetochores, on selected chromosomal regions, called centromeres. Centromere function is essential and centromeres are determined epigenetically by the deposition of a variant histone H3 CENP-A (CENH3 in plants). Either reduced or ectopic function alone leads to genome instability, decreased fitness, aneuploid syndromes, and cancer. At times, however, centromeres malfunction in an apparently programmed mode. This is exemplified by a peculiar centromeric syndrome involving selective elimination of a chromosome set, which can affect a wide range of organisms, including plants. Over half a century ago, plant geneticists described this syndrome in interspecific crosses of barley. Building on their work, we examine the growing understanding of how CENH3 function can be modified to affect epigenetic regulation of centromeres. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-297df8e5db424bad9569009fe8f5d729 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2813-706X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Epigenetics and Epigenomics |
| spelling | doaj-art-297df8e5db424bad9569009fe8f5d7292025-08-20T03:08:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Epigenetics and Epigenomics2813-706X2025-07-01310.3389/freae.2025.16482701648270Pioneers of chromosome eliminationLuca ComaiMohan Prem Anand MarimuthuEpigenetic traits are persistent cellular and organismal properties that do not result from changes in DNA sequence. One such property involves transmission of chromosomes, which entails the formation of highly specialized chromatin structures, the kinetochores, on selected chromosomal regions, called centromeres. Centromere function is essential and centromeres are determined epigenetically by the deposition of a variant histone H3 CENP-A (CENH3 in plants). Either reduced or ectopic function alone leads to genome instability, decreased fitness, aneuploid syndromes, and cancer. At times, however, centromeres malfunction in an apparently programmed mode. This is exemplified by a peculiar centromeric syndrome involving selective elimination of a chromosome set, which can affect a wide range of organisms, including plants. Over half a century ago, plant geneticists described this syndrome in interspecific crosses of barley. Building on their work, we examine the growing understanding of how CENH3 function can be modified to affect epigenetic regulation of centromeres.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/freae.2025.1648270/fullcentromereCENP-Aplant breedingevolutionchromosome eliminationmissegregation |
| spellingShingle | Luca Comai Mohan Prem Anand Marimuthu Pioneers of chromosome elimination Frontiers in Epigenetics and Epigenomics centromere CENP-A plant breeding evolution chromosome elimination missegregation |
| title | Pioneers of chromosome elimination |
| title_full | Pioneers of chromosome elimination |
| title_fullStr | Pioneers of chromosome elimination |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pioneers of chromosome elimination |
| title_short | Pioneers of chromosome elimination |
| title_sort | pioneers of chromosome elimination |
| topic | centromere CENP-A plant breeding evolution chromosome elimination missegregation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/freae.2025.1648270/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lucacomai pioneersofchromosomeelimination AT mohanpremanandmarimuthu pioneersofchromosomeelimination |