Tribolium madens satellitome reveals a network of highly abundant satellite DNAs in megabase-sized regions hallmarked by macro-dyad symmetries

We propose that satDNA-related macro-dyad symmetries may affect the organization of (peri)centromeric chromatin, potentially also influencing centromere specification. The analogous pattern in congeners suggests that such symmetries are an intrinsic feature of Tribolium (peri)centromeric regions, implying that repeat organization and potential non-canonical DNA structures could be functionally more significant than the primary sequence of satDNA repeats.