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Han J, Hu G, Dai Y, Zhang X, Tian J, Zhou J, Xu X, Chen Q, Kou X, Xu L, Wu X, Sun Z, Geng J, Li L, Qiu C, Mehari TG, Wang B, Zhang H, Shen X, Xu Z, Wendel JF, Wang K. Centromere-size reduction and chromatin state dynamics following intergenomic hybridization in cotton. PLoS Genet 2025; 21:e1011689. [PMID: 40315272 PMCID: PMC12068715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2025] [Accepted: 04/14/2025] [Indexed: 05/04/2025] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are pivotal for accurate chromosome segregation, yet their regulation and evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate centromeres of the diploid species Gossypium anomalum (Ga, B-genome) that were transferred into tetraploid cotton G. hirsutum (Gh, AD-genome) as either an additional or integrated chromosome, as well as in synthetic allohexaploid (AABBDD) lines. We demonstrate consistent size reduction for all Ga centromeres in the Gh background. Histone modification profiling across 10 marks revealed heightened levels of both active and repressive chromatin marks within the Ga centromeres when transferred into the Gh background, particularly for H3K36me2. The centromeric histone modification perturbation extended into pericentromeric regions, with variable CENH3-binding domains consistently exhibiting a more pronounced increase in histone modification levels compared to stable centromere regions, highlighting the role of histone modification elevation in centromere dynamics. In addition, we observed enhanced chromatin accessibility and the presence of non-B-form DNA motifs, such as A-phased DNA repeats within stable centromere domains that are correlated with centromere stability. Hi-C analysis reveals a reorganized 3D chromatin architecture within the introgression line centromeres, including the formation of new topologically associating domains linked to H3K36me2 dynamics, emphasizing the importance of H3K36me2 in centromere organization. Together, these findings elucidate epigenetic mechanisms underlying centromere composition following intergenomic hybridization and allopolyploid formation, offering insights into centromere evolution in plants and its myriad epigenetic and potentially functional dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlei Han
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Guanjing Hu
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Dai
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jingjing Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jialiang Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xinqi Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Qi Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xiaobing Kou
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Lei Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xinyu Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Ziying Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jiahui Geng
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Lin Li
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Chenyu Qiu
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | | | - Baohua Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xinlian Shen
- Key Laboratory of Cotton and Rapeseed (Nanjing), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Institute of Industrial Crops, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenzhen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Cotton and Rapeseed (Nanjing), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Institute of Industrial Crops, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jonathan F. Wendel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Kai Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Yi C, Liu Q, Huang Y, Liu C, Guo X, Fan C, Zhang K, Liu Y, Han F. Non-B-form DNA is associated with centromere stability in newly-formed polyploid wheat. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1479-1488. [PMID: 38639838 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2513-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Non-B-form DNA differs from the classic B-DNA double helix structure and plays a crucial regulatory role in replication and transcription. However, the role of non-B-form DNA in centromeres, especially in polyploid wheat, remains elusive. Here, we systematically analyzed seven non-B-form DNA motif profiles (A-phased DNA repeat, direct repeat, G-quadruplex, inverted repeat, mirror repeat, short tandem repeat, and Z-DNA) in hexaploid wheat. We found that three of these non-B-form DNA motifs were enriched at centromeric regions, especially at the CENH3-binding sites, suggesting that non-B-form DNA may create a favorable loading environment for the CENH3 nucleosome. To investigate the dynamics of centromeric non-B form DNA during the alloploidization process, we analyzed DNA secondary structure using CENH3 ChIP-seq data from newly formed allotetraploid wheat and its two diploid ancestors. We found that newly formed allotetraploid wheat formed more non-B-form DNA in centromeric regions compared with their parents, suggesting that non-B-form DNA is related to the localization of the centromeric regions in newly formed wheat. Furthermore, non-B-form DNA enriched in the centromeric regions was found to preferentially form on young LTR retrotransposons, explaining CENH3's tendency to bind to younger LTR. Collectively, our study describes the landscape of non-B-form DNA in the wheat genome, and sheds light on its potential role in the evolution of polyploid centromeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congyang Yi
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuhong Huang
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xianrui Guo
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chaolan Fan
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kaibiao Zhang
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Fangpu Han
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Liu Y, Yi C, Fan C, Liu Q, Liu S, Shen L, Zhang K, Huang Y, Liu C, Wang Y, Tian Z, Han F. Pan-centromere reveals widespread centromere repositioning of soybean genomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2310177120. [PMID: 37816061 PMCID: PMC10589659 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310177120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Centromere repositioning refers to a de novo centromere formation at another chromosomal position without sequence rearrangement. This phenomenon was frequently encountered in both mammalian and plant species and has been implicated in genome evolution and speciation. To understand the dynamic of centromeres on soybean genome, we performed the pan-centromere analysis using CENH3-ChIP-seq data from 27 soybean accessions, including 3 wild soybeans, 9 landraces, and 15 cultivars. Building upon the previous discovery of three centromere satellites in soybean, we have identified two additional centromere satellites that specifically associate with chromosome 1. These satellites reveal significant rearrangements in the centromere structures of chromosome 1 across different accessions, consequently impacting the localization of CENH3. By comparative analysis, we reported a high frequency of centromere repositioning on 14 out of 20 chromosomes. Most newly emerging centromeres formed in close proximity to the native centromeres and some newly emerging centromeres were apparently shared in distantly related accessions, suggesting their emergence is independent. Furthermore, we crossed two accessions with mismatched centromeres to investigate how centromere positions would be influenced in hybrid genetic backgrounds. We found that a significant proportion of centromeres in the S9 generation undergo changes in size and position compared to their parental counterparts. Centromeres preferred to locate at satellites to maintain a stable state, highlighting a significant role of centromere satellites in centromere organization. Taken together, these results revealed extensive centromere repositioning in soybean genome and highlighted how important centromere satellites are in constraining centromere positions and supporting centromere function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Congyang Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Chaolan Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Shulin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Lisha Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Kaibiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Yuhong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Yingxiang Wang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou510642, China
| | - Zhixi Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Fangpu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
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Liu R, Wu J, Guo H, Yao W, Li S, Lu Y, Jia Y, Liang X, Tang J, Zhang H. Post-translational modifications of histones: Mechanisms, biological functions, and therapeutic targets. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e292. [PMID: 37220590 PMCID: PMC10200003 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Histones are DNA-binding basic proteins found in chromosomes. After the histone translation, its amino tail undergoes various modifications, such as methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, malonylation, propionylation, butyrylation, crotonylation, and lactylation, which together constitute the "histone code." The relationship between their combination and biological function can be used as an important epigenetic marker. Methylation and demethylation of the same histone residue, acetylation and deacetylation, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, and even methylation and acetylation between different histone residues cooperate or antagonize with each other, forming a complex network. Histone-modifying enzymes, which cause numerous histone codes, have become a hot topic in the research on cancer therapeutic targets. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the role of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) in cell life activities is very important for preventing and treating human diseases. In this review, several most thoroughly studied and newly discovered histone PTMs are introduced. Furthermore, we focus on the histone-modifying enzymes with carcinogenic potential, their abnormal modification sites in various tumors, and multiple essential molecular regulation mechanism. Finally, we summarize the missing areas of the current research and point out the direction of future research. We hope to provide a comprehensive understanding and promote further research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Liu
- Cancer CenterDepartment of Radiation OncologyZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's HospitalHangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Graduate DepartmentBengbu Medical College, BengbuAnhuiChina
| | - Jiajun Wu
- Graduate DepartmentBengbu Medical College, BengbuAnhuiChina
- Otolaryngology & Head and Neck CenterCancer CenterDepartment of Head and Neck SurgeryZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Haiwei Guo
- Otolaryngology & Head and Neck CenterCancer CenterDepartment of Head and Neck SurgeryZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Weiping Yao
- Cancer CenterDepartment of Radiation OncologyZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's HospitalHangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Graduate DepartmentBengbu Medical College, BengbuAnhuiChina
| | - Shuang Li
- Cancer CenterDepartment of Radiation OncologyZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's HospitalHangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Graduate DepartmentJinzhou Medical UniversityJinzhouLiaoningChina
| | - Yanwei Lu
- Cancer CenterDepartment of Radiation OncologyZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's HospitalHangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Yongshi Jia
- Cancer CenterDepartment of Radiation OncologyZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's HospitalHangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Xiaodong Liang
- Cancer CenterDepartment of Radiation OncologyZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's HospitalHangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Graduate DepartmentBengbu Medical College, BengbuAnhuiChina
| | - Jianming Tang
- Department of Radiation OncologyThe First Hospital of Lanzhou UniversityLanzhou UniversityLanzhouGansuChina
| | - Haibo Zhang
- Cancer CenterDepartment of Radiation OncologyZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's HospitalHangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhouZhejiangChina
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Liu Y, Yi C, Liu Q, Wang C, Wang W, Han F, Hu X. Multi-Omics Profiling Identifies Candidate Genes Controlling Seed Size in Peanut. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:3276. [PMID: 36501316 PMCID: PMC9740956 DOI: 10.3390/plants11233276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Seed size is the major yield component and a key target trait that is selected during peanut breeding. However, the mechanisms that regulate peanut seed size are unknown. Two peanut mutants with bigger seed size were isolated in this study by 60Co treatment of a common peanut landrace, Huayu 22, and were designated as the "big seed" mutant lines (hybs). The length and weight of the seed in hybs were about 118% and 170% of those in wild-type (WT), respectively. We adopted a multi-omics approach to identify the genomic locus underlying the hybs mutants. We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) of WT and hybs mutants and identified thousands of large-effect variants (SNPs and indels) that occurred in about four hundred genes in hybs mutants. Seeds from both WT and hybs lines were sampled 20 days after flowering (DAF) and were used for RNA-Seq analysis; the results revealed about one thousand highly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in hybs compared to WT. Using a method that combined large-effect variants with DEGs, we identified 45 potential candidate genes that shared gene product mutations and expression level changes in hybs compared to WT. Among the genes, two candidate genes encoding cytochrome P450 superfamily protein and NAC transcription factors may be associated with the increased seed size in hybs. The present findings provide new information on the identification and functional research into candidate genes responsible for the seed size phenotype in peanut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Laboratory of Plant Chromosome Biology and Genomic Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Congyang Yi
- Laboratory of Plant Chromosome Biology and Genomic Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chunhui Wang
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wenpeng Wang
- Laboratory of Plant Chromosome Biology and Genomic Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
| | - Fangpu Han
- Laboratory of Plant Chromosome Biology and Genomic Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaojun Hu
- Laboratory of Plant Chromosome Biology and Genomic Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
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Liu Y, Yang H, Fang Y, Xing Y, Pang X, Li Y, Zhang Y, Liu Y. Function and inhibition of Haspin kinase: targeting multiple cancer therapies by antimitosis. J Pharm Pharmacol 2022; 75:445-465. [PMID: 36334086 DOI: 10.1093/jpp/rgac080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
Haploid germ cell-specific nuclear protein kinase (Haspin) is a serine/threonine kinase as an atypical kinase, which is structurally distinct from conventional protein kinases.
Key findings
Functionally, Haspin is involved in important cell cycle progression, particularly in critical mitosis regulating centromeric sister chromatid cohesion during prophase and prometaphase, and subsequently ensuring proper chromosome alignment during metaphase and the normal chromosome segregation during anaphase. However, increasing evidence has demonstrated that Haspin is significantly upregulated in a variety of cancer cells in addition to normal proliferating somatic cells. Its knockdown or small molecule inhibition could prevent cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis by disrupting the regular mitotic progression. Given the specificity of its expressed tissues or cells and the uniqueness of its current known substrate, Haspin can be a promising target against cancer. Consequently, selective synthetic and natural inhibitors of Haspin have been widely developed to determine their inhibitory power for various cancer cells in vivo and in vitro.
Summary
Here our perspective includes a comprehensive review of the roles and structure of Haspin, its relatively potent and selective inhibitors and Haspin’s preliminary studies in a variety of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjian Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Hongliu Yang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Yongsheng Fang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Yantao Xing
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Xinxin Pang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China
| | - Yonggang Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China
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Molecular convergence by differential domain acquisition is a hallmark of chromosomal passenger complex evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2200108119. [PMID: 36227914 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200108119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) is a heterotetrameric regulator of eukaryotic cell division, consisting of an Aurora-type kinase and a scaffold built of INCENP, Borealin, and Survivin. While most CPC components are conserved across eukaryotes, orthologs of the chromatin reader Survivin have previously only been found in animals and fungi, raising the question of how its essential role is carried out in other eukaryotes. By characterizing proteins that bind to the Arabidopsis Borealin ortholog, we identified BOREALIN RELATED INTERACTOR 1 and 2 (BORI1 and BORI2) as redundant Survivin-like proteins in the context of the CPC in plants. Loss of BORI function is lethal and a reduced expression of BORIs causes severe developmental defects. Similar to Survivin, we find that the BORIs bind to phosphorylated histone H3, relevant for correct CPC association with chromatin. However, this interaction is not mediated by a BIR domain as in previously recognized Survivin orthologs but by an FHA domain, a widely conserved phosphate-binding module. We find that the unifying criterion of Survivin-type proteins is a helix that facilitates complex formation with the other two scaffold components and that the addition of a phosphate-binding domain, necessary for concentration at the inner centromere, evolved in parallel in different eukaryotic groups. Using sensitive similarity searches, we find conservation of this helical domain between animals and plants and identify the missing CPC component in most eukaryotic supergroups. Interestingly, we also detect Survivin orthologs without a defined phosphate-binding domain, likely reflecting the situation in the last eukaryotic common ancestor.
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