Centromere diversity and its evolutionary impacts on plant karyotypes and plant reproduction

Summary

Karyotype changes are a formidable evolutionary force by directly impacting cross‐incompatibility, gene dosage, genetic linkage, chromosome segregation, and meiotic recombination landscape. These changes often arise spontaneously and are commonly detected within plant lineages, even between closely related accessions. One element that can influence drastic karyotype changes after only one (or few) plant generations is the alteration of the centromere position, number, distribution, or even its strength. Here, we briefly explore how these different centromere configurations can directly result in karyotype rearrangements, impacting plant reproduction and meiotic recombination.