1;Preface;6 2;Contents;8 3;Contributors;9 4;Chapter 1 The Epigenetic Basis for Centromere Identity;11 4.1;1.1 Introduction;12 4.2;1.2 The Budding Yeast Centromere;13 4.3;1.3 The Fission Yeast Centromere;15 4.4;1.4 The Maize Centromere;19 4.5;1.5 The Fruit Fly Centromere;21 4.6;1.6 The Human Centromere;24 4.7;1.7 Outlook;33 4.8;References;33 5;Chapter 2 The Centromere-Drive Hypothesis: A Simple Basis for Centromere Complexity;43 5.1;2.1 Centromere Complexity in Eukaryotes;44 5.2;2.2 Rapid Evolution of Centromeres is not Due to Relaxed Selective Constraint;45 5.3;2.3 Centromeric Histones Epigenetically Define Centromeres in Most Eukaryotes;46 5.4;2.4 Asymmetry in Female Meiosis as a Driving Force in Evolutionary Biology;52 5.5;2.5 Female Meiotic Drive vs. Male Post-Meiotic Dysfunction;53 5.6;2.6 The Centromere-Drive Model;54 5.7;2.7 The "Centromere-Drive" Model is Not Equivalent to the "Molecular-Drive" Model;56 5.8;2.8 The Centromere-Drive Model in Different Taxonomic Groups;57 5.9;References;59 6;Chapter 3 Centromere-Competent DNA: Structure and Evolution;63 6.1;3.1 Introduction;64 6.2;3.2 Types of Centromere;65 6.3;3.3 Evolutionary Mechanisms Affecting Centromeric DNA;66 6.4;3.4 Point Centromere DNA and Its Evolution;70 6.5;3.5 Regional Centromere DNA and Its Evolution;71 6.6;3.6 RNA in Centromere Establishment;77 6.7;3.7 Conclusion;81 7;Chapter 4 The Role of ncRNA in Centromeres: A Lesson from Marsupials;87 7.1;4.1 Centromere Structure;88 7.2;4.2 Marsupial Models for Studying Centromere Function and Evolution;90 7.3;4.3 Noncoding RNA and the Centromere;101 7.4;References;106 8;Chapter 5 Evolutionary New Centromeres in Primates;112 8.1;5.1 The "Black Hole";113 8.2;5.2 Evolutionary Repositioned Centromeres in Primates;116 8.3;5.3 Hotspots of Neocentromere Formation;117 8.4;5.4 Human Repositioned Centromeres "in Progress";123 8.5;5.5 Evolutionary Fate of Novel Centromeres;124 8.6;5.6 Technical Note;128 8.7;References;129 9;Chapter 6 Structure and Evolution of Plant Centromeres;162 9.1;6.1 Introduction;163 9.2;6.2 Centromeric DNA;163 9.3;6.3 Centromeric Proteins;168 9.4;6.4 Structure of Plant Centromeres;172 9.5;6.5 Centromere Modification;177 9.6;6.6 Minichromosomes and Artificial Chromosomes;179 9.7;6.7 Concluding Remarks;181 10;References;181 11;Index;189