The effects of transcription and recombination on mutational dynamics of short tandem repeats.

ABSTRACT: Short tandem repeats (STR) are ubiquitous components of the genomic architecture of most living organisms. Recent work has highlighted the widespread functional significance of such repeats, particularly around gene regulation, but the mutational processes underlying the evolution of these highly abundant and highly variable sequences are not fully understood. Traditional models assume that strand misalignment during replication is the predominant mechanism, but empirical data suggest the involvement of other processes including recombination and transcription. Despite this evidence, the relative influences of these processes have not previously been tested experimentally on a genome-wide scale. Using deep sequencing, we identify mutations at >200 microsatellites, across 700 generations in

SUBMITTER: Zavodna M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5814968 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature