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Analysing the Contribution of Nucleic Acids to the Structure and Properties of Centric Heterochromatin

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Abstract

A class of repetitive DNA sequences frequently found at centromeric regions are R/Y-satellites showing an asymmetric distribution of residues resulting in one strand being rich in purines (R-strand) while the complementary strand is pyrimidine-rich (Y-strand). The dodeca-satellite of Drosophila belongs to this class of centromeric satellites. In vitro, the dodeca-satellite forms altered DNA structures in which the R-strand forms very stable intramolecular fold-backs that are stabilised by the formation of tandem G · A mismatches. A single-stranded nucleic acids binding protein, DDP1, binds the unstructured dodeca-satellite Y-strand with high affinity. In polytene chromosomes, DDP1 associates with the heterochromatic chromocenter and, at the euchromatic chromosome arms, co-localises with HP1. DDP1 is a vigilin. Vigilins are highly conserved multi-KH-domain proteins. Scp160p, the vigilin from S. cerevisiae, is involved in the control of ploidy. DDP1 complements a Δscp160 deletion.

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Author notes

  1. Alfred Cortés

    Present address: Molecular Parasitology Unit, PNG Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea

  2. Neus Ferrer-Miralles

    Present address: Unitat de Microbiologia, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain

  3. Miguel Ortiz-Lombardía

    Present address: Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biochimie Structurale, Paris, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Biologia Molecular i Cel.lular, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, CSIC, Jordi Girona Salgado, 18–26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Alfred Cortés, Dori Huertas, Francesc X. Marsellach, Neus Ferrer-Miralles, Miguel Ortiz-Lombardía, Benjami Piña & Fernando Azorín

  2. Istituto Pasteur, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare, Università 'La Sapienza’, Roma, Italy

    Laura Fanti & Sergio Pimpinelli

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  1. Alfred Cortés
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Cortés, A., Huertas, D., Marsellach, F.X. et al. Analysing the Contribution of Nucleic Acids to the Structure and Properties of Centric Heterochromatin. Genetica 117, 117–125 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022947921402

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