Naslov
Conservation of satellite DNA in species of the genus Pimelia (Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera)

Autori
Pons, Joan ; Bruvo, Branka ; Juan, Carlos ; Petitpierre, Eduard ; Plohl, Miroslav ; Ugarković, Đurđica

Izvornik
Gene (0378-1119) 205 (1997), 1-2; 183-190

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
DNA evolution; highly repetitive DNA; DNA curvature; substitution rate

Sažetak
Satellite DNA has been characterized in six allopatric species from the genus Pimelia: P. interjecta, P. integra, P. variolosa and P. baetica, inhabiting Iberian Peninsula, and P. elevata and P. criba, endemic to Balearic Islands Ibiza and Mallorca respectively. All species show the presence of a single satellite DNA of a basic monomer length of 357 bp and A+T content of 69%, comprising a considerable amount of the genome (39%-45%, corresponding to about 4.5 x 105 copies per haploid genome). The sequence analysis of 22 cloned repeats reveals very high intra- and interspecific sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis separates the satellite sequences into two clusters, each comprising clones from three species exclusively. Within the clusters, satellite clones are not grouped species-specifically, except those of P. integra where species diagnostic nt substitutions are detected with a pattern which could be produced by gene conversion. Such high sequence conservation could be related to preservation of satellite DNA curvature resulting in a higher order helical structure, proposed to act as a specific protein binding domain.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA