Noncanonical chromosomal-end-specific telomeric repeat arrays in naturally telomerase-negative yeasts

In most eukaryotes, chromosomal DNA terminates with tandem repeats of a short G-rich motif, such as the canonical TTAGGG sequence. The arrays of telomeric repeats are maintained by telomerase or by alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). Here, we report that nuclear chromosomes of several basidiomycetous yeasts classified into the order Microstromatales carry unusual telomeres. We demonstrate that instead of TTAGGG-like repeats these telomeres are composed of unique, tandemly repeated motifs, which are in most cases specific to a particular chromosomal end. In contrast to other basidiomycetes, the Microstromatales genomes lack orthologs coding for the telomerase catalytic subunit Est2 and a shelterin component Tpp1 indicating that noncanonical telomeric repeats are maintained by a telomerase-independent mechanism. We hypothesize that in a common ancestor of Microstromatales the loss of telomerase and Tpp1 was compensated by activation of an ALT-like mechanism, which promoted amplification of various motifs and formation of distinct telomeric repeat arrays at most chromosomal ends.