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Megasatellites: a new class of large tandem repeats discovered in the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata

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Abstract

Megasatellites are DNA tandem arrays made of large motifs; they were discovered in the yeast Candida glabrata. They are widespread in this species (40 copies) but are not found in any other hemiascomycete so far, raising the intriguing question of their origin. They are found mainly in genes encoding cell wall products, suggesting that megasatellites were selected for a function linked to cell–cell adhesion or to pathogenicity. Their putative role in promoting genome rearrangements by interfering with DNA replication will also be discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant ANR-05-BLAN-0331 from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche. B.D. is a member of the Institut Universitaire de France.

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  1. Unité de Génétique Moléculaire des Levures, Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA2171, Université Pierre et Marie Curie UFR 927, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France

    Agnès Thierry, Bernard Dujon & Guy-Franck Richard

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  1. Agnès Thierry
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  2. Bernard Dujon
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  3. Guy-Franck Richard
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Correspondence to Guy-Franck Richard.

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Thierry, A., Dujon, B. & Richard, GF. Megasatellites: a new class of large tandem repeats discovered in the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata . Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 67, 671–676 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-009-0216-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-009-0216-y

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