Identification of centromere regions in chromosomes of a unicellular red alga, Cyanidioschyzon merolae

AbstractTo investigate the evolution of centromere architecture in plant cells, it is important to identify centromere regions of primitive algae, such as Cyanidioschyzon merolae. In a previous genome project, in silico analysis predicted an AT-rich region in each chromosome as putative centromere regions. Here, we identified a centromere position in each chromosome by ChIP-on-chip analysis using an anti-CENP-A antibody. The identified centromeres were of the regional type, about 2–3kb in length and contained no consensus or repeat elements. Centromeres in primitive eukaryotic plant cells may have originated from these regional type centromeres