Whole-Genome Analysis Reveals the Dynamic Evolution of Holocentric Chromosomes in Satyrine Butterflies.

ABSTRACT: Butterfly chromosomes are holocentric, i.e., lacking a localized centromere. Potentially, this can lead to rapid karyotypic evolution through chromosome fissions and fusions, since fragmented chromosomes retain kinetic activity, while fused chromosomes are not dicentric. However, the actual mechanisms of butterfly genome evolution are poorly understood. Here, we analyzed chromosome-scale genome assemblies to identify structural rearrangements between karyotypes of satyrine butterfly species. For the species pair Erebia ligea-Maniola jurtina, sharing the ancestral diploid karyotype 2n = 56 + ZW, we demonstrate a high level of chromosomal macrosynteny and nine inversions separating these species. We show that the formation of a karyotype with a low number of chromosomes (2n = 3

SUBMITTER: Pazhenkova EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9956908 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature