Polymorphic centromere locations in the pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis.

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Centromeres are essential for chromosome segregation but exhibit rapid sequence evolution.
• Centromere location is typically stable within a species, even without DNA damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate centromere location plasticity within the pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis.
• To understand the mechanisms and evolutionary implications of centromere movement.

Main Methods:

• Comparative genomics of Candida parapsilosis isolates.
• Analysis of centromere structure and location.
• Investigating potential genetic determinants for centromere positioning.

Main Results:

• Centromere locations are polymorphic within Candida parapsilosis species on two chromosomes.
• New centromeres form near old sites, suggesting spontaneous relocation.
• No significant DNA sequence changes accompany centromere movement.
• Centromeres are identified as hotspots for genomic rearrangements in the C. parapsilosis clade.

Conclusions:

• Centromere locations are not as fixed as previously thought, even within species.
• Centromere movement may be a genetically determined process, possibly involving inverted repeats.
• The plasticity of centromere location contributes to genomic instability and evolution in Candida parapsilosis.