Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Plant neocentromeres: fast, focused, and driven.

R Kelly Dawe1, Evelyn N Hiatt

  • 1Department of Genetics University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. kelly@plantbio.uga.edu

Chromosome Research : an International Journal on the Molecular, Supramolecular and Evolutionary Aspects of Chromosome Biology
|August 4, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Plant neocentromeres drive meiotic inheritance in maize, differing significantly from animal neocentromeres. Their movement and origin are strongly linked to meiotic drive selection, influencing progeny traits.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Higher order repeat structures reflect diverging evolutionary paths in maize centromeres and knobs.

Genome biology·2026
Same author

The evolutionary genomics of meiotic drive.

Molecular biology and evolution·2026
Same author

Engineering chromosome number in plants.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

Genetic and environmental influences on the distributions of three chromosomal drive haplotypes in maize.

PLoS genetics·2025
Same author

Genetic and environmental influences on the distributions of three chromosomal drive haplotypes in maize.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Increased maize chromosome number by engineered chromosome fission.

Science advances·2025

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Plant neocentromeres are heterochromatic domains involved in meiotic cell division.
  • In maize, they facilitate meiotic drive, leading to preferential inheritance of chromosome regions called knobs.
  • Classical plant neocentromeres exhibit distinct characteristics compared to animal neocentromeres, including morphology and spindle dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive review of classical plant neocentromeres.
  • To emphasize their origin and the mechanisms driving their motility during meiosis.
  • To compare neocentromere-mediated meiotic drive with other models of centromere evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing data on plant neocentromeres.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparative analysis of plant and animal neocentromere characteristics.
  • Examination of meiotic drive mechanisms and their evolutionary implications.

    • Main Results:

    • Classical plant neocentromeres are characterized by their large size, heterochromatic nature, and rapid poleward movement on the spindle.
    • These structures are crucial for meiotic drive in maize, influencing knob inheritance.
    • Significant differences exist between plant and animal neocentromeres regarding spindle association, cohesion, and movement.

    Conclusions:

    • The data strongly suggest that meiotic drive is a primary selective force in the origin and evolution of most classical plant neocentromeres.
    • Neocentromere-mediated meiotic drive represents a significant factor in plant genetics and evolution.
    • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the evolutionary interplay between neocentromeres and centromere evolution models.