Cleavage Under Targets and Nuclease Release identifying the location of the centromeres in Cryptosporidium parvum and Toxoplasma gondii

Following host cell invasion by sporozoites, Cryptosporidium parvum (Cp) amplifies rapidly through three rounds of nuclear division prior to undergoing cytokinesis to form infectious merozoites. However, chromosome organization and segregation during nuclear division remain unstudied. Analysis of centromeres based on CENH3 binding and DNA sequencing revealed ~350 distinct binding sites scattered across all eight chromosomes, typified by GA rich repeat sequences. The unique holocentric chromosome structure of Cp is unlike the single focal centromere per chromosome found in Toxoplasma gondii.