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Evidence for methylation of inactive human rRNA genes in amplified regions

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Summary

In two unrelated families, the short arm of a 14p+ marker chromosome contains an increased number of copies of the 18S+28S rRNA genes without a comparable increase in the transcriptional activity, as shown by silver staining. The DNA in this region is highly enriched in 5-methylcytosine, as shown by specific antibody binding. In contrast, the owl monkey and cat have a single major nucleolus organizer region (NOR) per haploid genome; these NORs contain about the same number of rRNA genes as the 14p+ chromosome but are not methylated. These findings suggest that most of the amplified human rRNA genes on the 14p+ chromosomes have been inactivated by a process involving DNA methylation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Genetics and Development, Columbia University, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Umadevi Tantravahi & Orlando J. Miller

  2. Department of Microbiology, Columbia University, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Bernard F. Erlanger

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Orlando J. Miller

  4. The Cancer Center/Institute for Cancer Research, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Bernard F. Erlanger & Orlando J. Miller

  5. Department of Human Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, USA

    W. Roy Breg

  6. Department of Medical Genetics, University of Southern Alabama, Mobile, USA

    Valdimir Wertelecki

Authors
  1. Umadevi Tantravahi
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  2. W. Roy Breg
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  3. Valdimir Wertelecki
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  4. Bernard F. Erlanger
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  5. Orlando J. Miller
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Tantravahi, U., Breg, W.R., Wertelecki, V. et al. Evidence for methylation of inactive human rRNA genes in amplified regions. Hum Genet 56, 315–320 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00274686

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00274686

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