Complete chromosome 21 centromere sequences from a Down syndrome family reveal size asymmetry and differences in kinetochore attachment

Down syndrome is the most common form of human intellectual disability caused by precocious segregation and nondisjunction of chromosome 21. Differences in centromere structure have been hypothesized to play a potential role in this process in addition to the well-established risk of advancing maternal age. Using long-read sequencing, we completely sequenced and assembled the centromeres from a parent-child trio where Trisomy 21 arose in the child as a result of a meiosis I error. The proband carries three distinct chromosome 21 centromere haplotypes that vary by 11-fold in length--both the largest (H1) and smallest (H2) originating from the mother. The longest H1 allele harbors a less clearly defined centromere dip region (CDR) as defined by CpG methylation and a significantly reduced signal by CENP-A chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing when compared to H2 or paternal H3 centromeres. These epigenetic signatures suggest less competent kinetochore attachment for the maternally transmitted H1. Analysis of H1 in the mother indicates that the reduced CENP-A ChIP-seq signal, but not the CDR profile, pre-existed the meiotic nondisjunction event. A comparison of the three proband centromeres to a population sampling of 35 completely sequenced chromosome 21 centromeres shows that H2 is the smallest centromere sequenced to date and all three haplotypes (H1-H3) share a common origin of ~15 thousand years ago. These results suggest that recent asymmetry in size and epigenetic differences of chromosome 21 centromeres may contribute to nondisjunction risk.