RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Synthetic maize centromeres transmit chromosomes across generations
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.09.19.508542
DO 10.1101/2022.09.19.508542
A1 Dawe, R. Kelly
A1 Gent, Jonathan I.
A1 Zeng, Yibing
A1 Zhang, Han
A1 Fu, Fang-Fang
A1 Swentowsky, Kyle W.
A1 Kim, Dong won
A1 Wang, Na
A1 Liu, Jianing
A1 Piri, Rebecca D.
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/09/19/2022.09.19.508542.abstract
AB Centromeres are long, often repetitive regions of genomes that bind kinetochore proteins and ensure normal chromosome segregation. Engineering centromeres that function in vivo has proven to be difficult. Here we describe a LexA-CENH3 tethering approach that activates functional centromeres at maize synthetic repeat arrays containing LexO binding sites. The synthetic centromeres are sufficient to cause chromosome breakage and release of chromosome fragments that are passed through meiosis and into progeny. Several independent chromosomes were identified, each with newly created centromeres localized over the repeat arrays where they were directed. The new centromeres were self-sustaining and stably transmitted chromosomes to progeny in the absence of the LexA-CENH3 activator. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using synthetic centromeres for karyotype engineering applications.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.