Molecular cloning and bioinformatic analysis of centromeric histone H3 (CenH3) gene in species of onobrychis

In this study, the CenH3 genomic locus of different species of the genus Onobrychis was characterized. The study was carried out by molecular cloning method and the results were analyzed by bioinformatic methods. CenH3 variants of Onobrychis genus were into two main groups, CenH3-α and CenH3-β in silico. CenH3-α group contains 3 different variants, while CenH3-β group contains 2 different variants. The species O. hajastana (2n=2×=14) has the CenH3-α variant and one of the CenH3-β variants, while O. altissima (2n=2×=14 / 2n=4×=28), O. biebersteinii (2n=4×=28), O. oxydanta (2n=2×=14) have the other variant of the CenH3-β group. The results support the findings that the cultivated species O. viciifolia (2n=4×=28) may be allotetraploid and suggest that its ancestors may be O. hajastana and O. oxydanta. There is important defects of genetic studies in the Onobrychis genus. So, this is an original and pioneering study in the Onobrychis genus for phylogenetic analysis and elucidation of the evolutionary process of the centromere.