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The extraordinary satellitome diversity of freshwater crayfish : a driver of genome evolution

Bonassin, Lena ; Boštjančić, Ljudevit Luka ; Rutz, Christelle ; Francesconi, Caterina LU ; Schardt, Leonie ; Baranski, Damian ; Greve, Carola ; Pârvulescu, Lucian ; Besendorfer, Višnja and Mlinarec, Jelena , et al. (2026) In Mobile DNA 17(1).
Abstract

Background: Repetitive elements, particularly satellite DNA (satDNA), play a significant role in genome evolution and organisation. However, their diversity and evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood in non-model organisms. Freshwater crayfish (Decapoda, Astacidea) have large genomes with a high chromosome number and are rich in satDNAs. This makes them attractive for studying the impact of satDNA on genome evolution. Results: In this study, we investigated the repetitive genomic landscape of 19 species representing four freshwater crayfish families. Our analysis revealed a high proportion of repetitive DNA in all studied species, with the total repeat content ranging from 30% to 66%. The number of satDNA families was remarkably... (More)

Background: Repetitive elements, particularly satellite DNA (satDNA), play a significant role in genome evolution and organisation. However, their diversity and evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood in non-model organisms. Freshwater crayfish (Decapoda, Astacidea) have large genomes with a high chromosome number and are rich in satDNAs. This makes them attractive for studying the impact of satDNA on genome evolution. Results: In this study, we investigated the repetitive genomic landscape of 19 species representing four freshwater crayfish families. Our analysis revealed a high proportion of repetitive DNA in all studied species, with the total repeat content ranging from 30% to 66%. The number of satDNA families was remarkably high (54–622 families per species), with minisatellites (< 100 bp) forming the largest component of the satellitome. Family-specific patterns emerged: Astacidae and Cambaroididae showed the highest satDNA proportions, while Cambaridae and Parastacidae were dominated by Class I transposable elements. Species of the family Parastacidae showed the largest number of unique satDNA clusters and were clearly separated from other families, reflecting their phylogenetic divergence and distinct biogeographic history. We identified specific satDNAs conserved across all species, among them the PlSAT3-411, pointing to their important functional roles as pericentromeric satDNA. Conclusion: This study provides the first comprehensive comparative analysis of satDNA in freshwater crayfish. Our results highlight the dynamic nature of repetitive DNA and underscore its importance in genome organisation and evolutionary history.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Concerted evolution, Decapoda, Library hypothesis, Repetitive elements, Satellite DNA
in
Mobile DNA
volume
17
issue
1
article number
12
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:42050625
  • scopus:105038038702
ISSN
1759-8753
DOI
10.1186/s13100-026-00399-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
12ebf151-332c-40e3-b0e2-ac8f71ae9281
date added to LUP
2026-07-07 14:32:17
date last changed
2026-09-01 19:31:50
@article{12ebf151-332c-40e3-b0e2-ac8f71ae9281,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Repetitive elements, particularly satellite DNA (satDNA), play a significant role in genome evolution and organisation. However, their diversity and evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood in non-model organisms. Freshwater crayfish (Decapoda, Astacidea) have large genomes with a high chromosome number and are rich in satDNAs. This makes them attractive for studying the impact of satDNA on genome evolution. Results: In this study, we investigated the repetitive genomic landscape of 19 species representing four freshwater crayfish families. Our analysis revealed a high proportion of repetitive DNA in all studied species, with the total repeat content ranging from 30% to 66%. The number of satDNA families was remarkably high (54–622 families per species), with minisatellites (&lt; 100 bp) forming the largest component of the satellitome. Family-specific patterns emerged: Astacidae and Cambaroididae showed the highest satDNA proportions, while Cambaridae and Parastacidae were dominated by Class I transposable elements. Species of the family Parastacidae showed the largest number of unique satDNA clusters and were clearly separated from other families, reflecting their phylogenetic divergence and distinct biogeographic history. We identified specific satDNAs conserved across all species, among them the PlSAT3-411, pointing to their important functional roles as pericentromeric satDNA. Conclusion: This study provides the first comprehensive comparative analysis of satDNA in freshwater crayfish. Our results highlight the dynamic nature of repetitive DNA and underscore its importance in genome organisation and evolutionary history.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bonassin, Lena and Boštjančić, Ljudevit Luka and Rutz, Christelle and Francesconi, Caterina and Schardt, Leonie and Baranski, Damian and Greve, Carola and Pârvulescu, Lucian and Besendorfer, Višnja and Mlinarec, Jelena and Maguire, Ivana and Theissinger, Kathrin and Lecompte, Odile}},
  issn         = {{1759-8753}},
  keywords     = {{Concerted evolution; Decapoda; Library hypothesis; Repetitive elements; Satellite DNA}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Mobile DNA}},
  title        = {{The extraordinary satellitome diversity of freshwater crayfish : a driver of genome evolution}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13100-026-00399-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s13100-026-00399-8}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}