New insights into centromeres from Arabidopsis Col-CEN assembly.

Centromeres have an essential and conserved role in eukaryotes, and represent a paradoxical feature of rapid evolution. A recent study by Naish et al. applied long-read sequencing to survey a genome assembly of all five Arabidopsis (Arabidopsisthaliana) centromeres. Analyses of these centromeres showed characteristic genetic and epigenetic features, providing new insights into centromere evolution.