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Ancient Retrotransposons Revolutionize Yeast Centromere Function

2/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute and New York University revealed that Ty5 long terminal repeats (LTRs) from ancient retrotransposons were co-opted as essential components of centromeres in Saccharomycodales yeasts.
This explains the evolutionary shift from large, repeat-rich centromeres to the precise point centromeres in brewer's yeast.
The findings challenge genome-organization assumptions and show how mobile elements can be repurposed for cellular functions, opening new avenues for kinetochore research.

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Story summary

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute and New York University revealed that Ty5 long terminal repeats (LTRs) from ancient retrotransposons were co-opted as essential components of centromeres in Saccharomycodales yeasts.
This explains the evolutionary shift from large, repeat-rich centromeres to the precise point centromeres in brewer's yeast.
The findings challenge genome-organization assumptions and show how mobile elements can be repurposed for cellular functions, opening new avenues for kinetochore research.