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PMID: 8536977 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Islands of complex DNA are widespread in Drosophila centric heterochromatin.

Genetics ·Vol. 141 ·No. 1 ·1995-09-00 ·Pages 283-303

Le MH, Duricka D, Karpen GH

Abstract

Heterochromatin is a ubiquitous yet poorly understood component of multicellular eukaryotic genomes. Major gaps exist in our knowledge of the nature and overall organization of DNA sequences present in heterochromatin. We have investigated the molecular structure of the 1 Mb of centric heterochromatin in the Drosophila minichromosome Dp1187. A genetic screen of irradiated minichromosomes yielded rearranged derivatives of Dp1187 whose structures were determined by pulsed-field Southern analysis and PCR. Three Dp1187 deletion derivatives and an inversion had one breakpoint in the euchromatin and one in the heterochromatin, providing direct molecular access to previously inaccessible parts of the heterochromatin. End-probed pulsed-field restriction mapping revealed the presence of at least three "islands" of complex DNA, Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora, constituting approximately one half of the Dp1187 heterochromatin. Pulsed-field Southern analysis demonstrated that Drosophila heterochromatin in general is composed of alternating blocks of complex DNA and simple satellite DNA. Cloning and sequencing of a small part of one island, Tahiti, demonstrated the presence of a retroposon. The implications of these findings to heterochromatin structure and function are discussed.

MeSH Terms
Animals Base Sequence Chromosomes DNA/chemistry DNA, Satellite Drosophila/genetics Female Heterochromatin/genetics Male Molecular Sequence Data Restriction Mapping Retroelements
Chemicals
DNA, Satellite Heterochromatin Retroelements DNA
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Le M H
Molecular Biology and Virology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Duricka D
Karpen G H
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Article Info
Journal
Genetics
Abbr.
Genetics
ISSN
0016-6731
DOI
10.1093/genetics/141.1.283
Published
1995-09-00
Pages
283-303
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0374636
PMCID
PMC1206727
Subset
IM
Grants
NCI NIH HHS · P30 CA 14195 · United States
NHGRI NIH HHS · R01 HG 00747 · United States
Databases
GENBANK
U28039, U28050
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1093/genetics/141.1.283 PMC Full Text View journal details
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