Variable Rates of Simple Satellite Gains across the Drosophila Phylogeny.

ABSTRACT: Simple satellites are tandemly repeating short DNA motifs that can span megabases in eukaryotic genomes. Because they can cause genomic instability through nonallelic homologous exchange, they are primarily found in the repressive heterochromatin near centromeres and telomeres where recombination is minimal, and on the Y chromosome, where they accumulate as the chromosome degenerates. Interestingly, the types and abundances of simple satellites often vary dramatically between closely related species, suggesting that they turn over rapidly. However, limited sampling has prevented detailed understanding of their evolutionary dynamics. Here, we characterize simple satellites from whole-genome sequences generated from males and females of nine Drosophila species, spanning 40 Ma of evolution. W

SUBMITTER: Wei KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5888958 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature