Biology
KEY CONCEPTS:
- Minisatellites Are Useful For Genetic Mapping
KEY TERMS:Microsatellite DNAs consist of repetitions of extremely short (typically <10 bp) units. Minisatellite DNAs consist of ~10 copies of a short repeating sequence. the length of the repeating unit is measured in 10s of base pairs. The number...
- Mammalian Satellites Consist Of Hierarchical Repeats
KEY CONCEPTS:Mouse satellite DNA has evolved by duplication and mutation of a short repeating unit to give a basic repeating unit of 234 bp in which the original half, quarter, and eighth repeats can be recognized.In the mammals, as typified by various...
- Crossover Fixation Could Maintain Identical Repeats
KEY TERMS:Concerted evolution describes the ability of two related genes to evolve together as though constituting a single locus. Coincidental evolution (Coevolution) describes a situation in which two genes evolve together as a single unit. Gene...
- Clusters And Repeats
KEY TERMS:A gene family consists of a set of genes whose exons are related; the members were derived by duplication and variation from some ancestral gene. A translocation is a rearrangement in which part of a chromosome is detached by breakage or aberrant...
- Dna Replication Is Semiconservative
KEY TERMS:A parental strand or duplex of DNA refers to the DNA that will be replicated. The antisense strand (Template strand) of DNA is complementary to the sense strand, and is the one that acts as the template for synthesis of mRNA. A daughter...
Biology
Arthropod satellites have very short identical repeats
KEY TERMS:
- Heavy strands and light strands of a DNA duplex refer to the density differences that result when there is an asymmetry between base representation in the two strands such that one strand is rich in T and G bases and the other is rich in C and A bases. This occurs in some satellite and mitochondrial DNAs.
- The repeating units of arthropod satellite DNAs are only a few nucleotides long. Most of the copies of the sequence are identical.
In the arthropods, as typified by insects and crabs, each satellite DNA appears to be rather homogeneous. Usually, a single very short repeating unit accounts for >90% of the satellite. This makes it relatively straightforward to determine the sequence.
Drosophila virilis has three major satellites and also a cryptic satellite, together representing >40% of the genome. The sequences of the satellites are summarized in Figure 4.21. The three major satellites have closely related sequences. A single base substitution is sufficient to generate either satellite II or III from the sequence of satellite I.
The satellite I sequence is present in other species of Drosophila related to virilis, and so may have preceded speciation. The sequences of satellites II and III seem to be specific to D. virilis, and so may have evolved from satellite I after speciation.
The main feature of these satellites is their very short repeating unit: only 7 bp. Similar satellites are found in other species. D. melanogaster has a variety of satellites, several of which have very short repeating units (5, 7, 10, or 12 bp). Comparable satellites are found in the crabs.
The close sequence relationship found among the D. virilis satellites is not necessarily a feature of other genomes, where the satellites may have unrelated sequences. Each satellite has arisen by a lateral amplification of a very short sequence. This sequence may represent a variant of a previously existing satellite (as in D. virilis), or could have some other origin.
Satellites are continually generated and lost from genomes. This makes it difficult to ascertain evolutionary relationships, since a current satellite could have evolved from some previous satellite that has since been lost. The important feature of these satellites is that they represent very long stretches of DNA of very low sequence complexity, within which constancy of sequence can be maintained
One feature of many of these satellites is a pronounced asymmetry in the orientation of base pairs on the two strands. In the example of the D. virilis satellites shown in Figure 4.20, in each of the major satellites one of the strands is much richer in T and G bases. This increases its buoyant density, so that upon denaturation this heavy strand (H) can be separated from the complementary light strand (L). This can be useful in sequencing the satellite.
- Minisatellites Are Useful For Genetic Mapping
KEY TERMS:Microsatellite DNAs consist of repetitions of extremely short (typically <10 bp) units. Minisatellite DNAs consist of ~10 copies of a short repeating sequence. the length of the repeating unit is measured in 10s of base pairs. The number...
- Mammalian Satellites Consist Of Hierarchical Repeats
KEY CONCEPTS:Mouse satellite DNA has evolved by duplication and mutation of a short repeating unit to give a basic repeating unit of 234 bp in which the original half, quarter, and eighth repeats can be recognized.In the mammals, as typified by various...
- Crossover Fixation Could Maintain Identical Repeats
KEY TERMS:Concerted evolution describes the ability of two related genes to evolve together as though constituting a single locus. Coincidental evolution (Coevolution) describes a situation in which two genes evolve together as a single unit. Gene...
- Clusters And Repeats
KEY TERMS:A gene family consists of a set of genes whose exons are related; the members were derived by duplication and variation from some ancestral gene. A translocation is a rearrangement in which part of a chromosome is detached by breakage or aberrant...
- Dna Replication Is Semiconservative
KEY TERMS:A parental strand or duplex of DNA refers to the DNA that will be replicated. The antisense strand (Template strand) of DNA is complementary to the sense strand, and is the one that acts as the template for synthesis of mRNA. A daughter...