Cover -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Contents -- Contributors -- Preface -- 1: Arabidopsis Centromeres -- Centromere DNA structure -- Cytosine methylation and heterochromatin -- Centromere proteins -- Functional domains -- Future prospects and conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 2: Rice Centromeres -- Discovery of the centromeric retrotransposon (CR) in cereal species -- CRR elements in rice centromeres -- Rice centromeres contain a centromere-specific satellite repeat CentO -- Genome-wide mapping of CENH3-associated DNA sequences in rice centromeres -- Genes in rice centromeres -- Epigenetic modification of centromeric DNA and centromeric chromatin in rice -- Future research -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 3: Maize Centromeres -- Molecular characterization of maize centromeres: the beginnings -- CENH3 -- The maize genome sequence -- CRM evolution -- CentC evolution -- Other tandem repeats near maize centromeres -- Enrichment of CentC and CRM in functional centromeres -- Mapping centromere BACs -- Delineation of the functional centromeres -- Arrangement of centromere repeats -- Centromere inactivation and reactivation -- B centromeres -- Sequence turnover at centromeres -- Epigenetics of maize centromeres -- Remaining questions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 4: A Molecular Cytogenetic Analysis of the Structure, Evolution, and Epigenetic Modifications of Major DNA Sequences in Centromeres of Beta Species -- The genus Beta -- Genomes and chromosomes -- Diversity and evolution of satellite DNA as a major component of Beta centromeres -- Centromeric retrotransposons in the genus Beta -- The centromeres of Beta procumbens and alien fragment addition lines -- Epigenetic characterization of the sugar beet centromere -- References -- 5: Centromere Synteny among Brachypodium, Wheat, and Rice -- Centromeres of wheat.

Centromeres of Brachypodium distachyon -- Centromere synteny between wheat and rice -- Centromere synteny among Brachypodium, wheat, and rice -- Possible mechanism of centromere inactivation -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 6: CENH3 for Establishing and Maintaining Centromeres -- CENH3: detection and evolution -- Identification and localization studies of CENH3 in different plant species -- CENH3 duplication in alloploid and some diploid species -- Loading of CENH3 to plant centromeres during mitotic cell cycle -- Distribution of CENH3 in pollen nuclei and its resetting in the zygote -- Epigenetic regulation of kinetochore assembly -- Functional requirement of N- and C-terminal parts of CENH3 -- Recognition of A. thaliana centromeres by heterologous CENH3 -- Deregulation of CENH3 activity in plants -- Interaction of CENH3 with centromeric DNA -- Regulation of CENH3 expression by the E2F transcription factor family -- CENH3 levels at centromeres decline with the age of tissue -- CENH3, from basic research to agricultural application -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 7: Holokinetic Centromeres -- Occurrence and evolution of holocentric chromosomes -- Structure and composition of holokinetic centromeres -- Terminal position of NOR-sites: required for chromosome integrity? -- Centromeric DNA, heterochromatin, and repeat distribution in holocentrics -- Meiosis in holocentric organisms -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 8: Is the Heterochromatin of Meiotic Neocentromeres a Remnant of the Early Evolution of the Primitive Centromere? -- The historical relationship between heterochromatin and neocentric activity -- Genetic and environmental factors affecting neocentromeres -- Neocentric activity in animal meiotic chromosomes -- Presence of subtelomeric sequences at neocentromeres and centromeres.

Centromeres and telomeres in unicellular eukaryotic organisms -- Beginning at the ends? Capping and segregation at the ends of nascent linear chromosomes -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 9: Misdivision of Centromeres -- The mechanics of centric misdivision -- Univalency and centric misdivision -- Susceptibility of chromosomes to misdivision -- Symmetry of breakage -- Fusion of broken chromosome ends -- Separation of centromeric functions and the minimum chromosome size -- Centric fission-fusion versus Robertsonian translocations -- References -- 10: Female Meiotic Drive in Monkeyflowers: Insight into the Population Genetics of Selfish Centromeres -- Centromere-associated drive in monkeyflowers -- Open questions -- Does drive cause centromeric evolution? -- Do costs of centromere selfishness drive kinetochore protein evolution? -- Does centromeric drive contribute to the evolution of species barriers in plants? -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 11: Plant Centromere Epigenetics -- Structural features of plant centromeres -- Evidence for epigenetic regulation of plant centromeres -- Epigenetic marks of plant centromeres -- Why are plant centromeres under epigenetic control? -- Conclusion -- References -- 12: Centromere Evolution -- Centromeric satellite repeats and repeat-based centromeres -- Neocentromere activation -- Centromere repositioning -- Centromere evolution: from a neocentromere to a mature centromere -- What triggers the activation of neocentromeres? -- What is required to fix an ENC in a population? -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 13: Centromere-Mediated Generation of Haploid Plants -- Uniparental genome elimination is a widespread outcome of distant genetic crosses -- Mechanistic hypotheses to explain uniparental genome elimination -- Centromere functional defects underlie genome elimination in barley.

Genome elimination in Arabidopsis thaliana can be caused by parental CENH3 differences -- Mechanism of genome elimination caused by CENH3 alterations -- Can we create CENH3-based haploid inducers in crops? -- Potential applications of a CENH3-based haploid inducer in agricultural genetics -- References -- 14: Engineered Plant Chromosomes -- Chromosome components: centromeres, telomeres, and origins of replication -- Telomere truncation of plant chromosomes -- Meiotic behavior and transmission of small engineered chromosomes in plants -- Modification of engineered plant chromosomes -- Potential utility of engineered plant chromosomes -- Engineered plant chromosomes and ecological concerns of genetically modified plants -- References -- Index.