Genetic diversity and architectural dynamics of soybean centromeres

We conclude that CentGm-1 and CentGm-4 evolve independently. The observation that completely identical CentGm-4 sequences consistently appear on the same chromosome across different soybean varieties indicates a stronger chromosome-specific preference for CentGm-4. We propose a model in which replication templates within the centromere region originate from multiple CENH3-nucleosome complexes bound to CentGm sequences. Both CentGm-1 and CentGm-4 contain similar motifs with the potential to bind CENH3 protein. The findings provide a new insight into the mechanisms behind centromere diversity and dynamics.