Lepidopteran Synteny Units reveal deep chromosomal conservation in butterflies and moths.

ABSTRACT: DNA is compacted into individual particles or chromosomes that form the basic units of inheritance. However, different animals and plants have widely different numbers of chromosomes. This means that we cannot readily tell which chromosomes are related to which. Here, we describe a simple technique that looks at the similarity of genes on each chromosome and thus gives us a true picture of their homology or similarity through evolutionary time. We use this new system to look at the chromosomes of butterflies and moths or Lepidoptera. We term the associated synteny units, Lepidopteran Synteny Units (LSUs). Using a sample of butterfly and moth genomes from across evolutionary time, we show that LSUs form a simple and reliable method of tracing chromosomal homology back through time. Surprisi

SUBMITTER: Traut W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10411566 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature