Alpha satellite DNA in neotropical primates (Platyrrhini) |
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Authors: | Gilda Alves Héctor N Seuánez Thomas Fanning |
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Institution: | (1) Genetics Section, National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;(2) Departmento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;(3) Department of Cellular Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 20306-6000 Washington, DC, USA;(4) Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil |
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Abstract: | The alpha satellite DNA of Old World (catarhine) primates usually consists of similar, but not identical, ca. 170 bp sequences repeated tandemly hundreds to thousands of times. The 170 bp monomeric repeats are components of higher-order repeats, many of which are chromosome specific. Alpha satellites are found exclusively in centromeric regions where they appear to play a role in centromere function. We have found that alpha satellite DNA in neotropical (New World; platyrrhine) primates is very similar to its Old World counterpart: it consists of divergent ca. 170 bp subsequences that are arranged in tandem arrays with a ca. 340 bp periodicity. New and Old World alpha satellites share about 64% sequence identity overall, and contain several short sequence motifs that appear to be highly conserved. One exception to the tandemly arrayed 340 bp motif has been found: the major alpha satellite array in Chiropotes satanas (black bearded saki) has a 539 bp repeat unit that consists of a 338 bp dimer together with a duplication of 33 bp of the first monomeric unit and 168 bp of the second monomeric unit. |
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Keywords: | CapB L07926 CpyALF2 L07928 CsaA L07929 CmoALF L07930 |
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