Skip to main content
Log in

A highly repeated DNA sequence in Arabidopsis thaliana

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Three members of a family of highly repeated DNA sequences from Arabidopsis thaliana have been cloned and characterized. The repeat unit has an average length of 180 bp and is tandemly repeated in arrays longer than 50 kb. This family represents more than one percent of the Arabidopsis genome. Sequence comparisons with tandemly repeated DNA sequences from other Cruciferae species show several regions of homology and a similar length of the repeat unit. Homologies are also found to highly repeated sequences from other plant species. When the sequence CCGG occurs in the repeated DNA, the inner cytosine is generally methylated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bedbrook JR, Jones J, O'Dell M, Thompson RD, Flavell RB (1980) A molecular description of telomeric heterochromatin in Secale species. Cell 19:545–560

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggin MD, Gibson TJ, Hong GF (1983) Buffer gradient gels and 35S label as an aid to rapid DNA sequence determination. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:3963–3965

    Google Scholar 

  • Bostock C (1980) A function for satellite DNA? Trends Biochem Sci 5:117–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Brutlag DL (1980) Molecular arrangement and evolution of heterochromatic DNA. Annu Rev Genet 14:121–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Capesius I (1983) Sequence of the cryptic satellite DNA from the plant Sinapis alba. Biochim Biophys Acta 739:276–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis ES, Gerlach WL, Peacock WJ (1980) Identical polypyrimidine-polypurine satellite DNAs in wheat and barley. Heredity 44:349–366

    Google Scholar 

  • Deumling B (1981) Sequence arrangement of a highly methylated satellite DNA of a plant, Scilla: A tandemly repeated inverted repeat. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:338–342

    Google Scholar 

  • Deumling B, Greilhuber J (1982) Characterization of heterochromatin in different species of the Scilla siberica group (Liliaceae) by in situ hybridization of satellite DNAs and fluorochrome banding. Chromosoma 84:535–555

    Google Scholar 

  • Doolittle WF, Sapienza C (1980) Selfish genes, the phenotype paradigm and genome evolution. Nature 284:601–603

    Google Scholar 

  • Endoh H, Okada N (1986) Total DNA transcription in vitro: A procedure to detect highly repetitive and transcribable sequences with tRNA-like structures. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83:251–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Flavell RB (1982) Repeated sequences and genome architecture. In: Ciferri O, Dure III L (eds) Structure and function of plant genomes. Plenum Press, London, p 1

    Google Scholar 

  • Flavell RB, Bennet MD, Smith JB, Smith DB (1974) Genome size and the proportion of repeated nucleotide sequence DNA in plants. Biochem Genet 12:257–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Grellet F, Delcasso D, Panabieres F, Delseny M (1986) Organization and evolution of a higher plant alphoid-like satellite DNA sequence. J Mol Biol 187:495–507

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedge IC (1976) A systematic and geographical survey of the old world Cruciferae. In: Vaughan JG, Jones BMG, Macleod AJ (eds) The biology and chemistry of Cruciferae. Academic Press, p 1

  • Hutchinson J, Lonsdale DM (1982) The chromosomal distribution of cloned highly repetitive sequences from hexaploid wheat. Heredity 48:371–376

    Google Scholar 

  • John B, Miklos GLG (1979) Functional aspects of satellite DNA and heterochromatin. Int Rev Cytol 58:1–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Kato A, Yakura K, Tanifuji S (1984) Sequence analysis of Vicia faba repeated DNA, the FokI repeat element. Nucl Acids Res 16:6415–6426

    Google Scholar 

  • Leutwiler LS, Hough-Evans BR, Meyerowitz EM (1984) The DNA of Arabidopsis thaliana. Mol Gen Genet 194:15–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Linxweiler W, Horz W (1985) Reconstitution experiments show that sequence-specific histone-DNA interactions are the basis for nucleosome phasing on mouse satellite DNA. Cell 42:281–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyerowitz EM, Pruitt RE (1985) Arabidopsis thaliana and plant molecular genetics. Science 229:1214–1218

    Google Scholar 

  • Orgel LE, Crick FHC (1980) Selfish DNA: the ultimate parasite. Nature 284:604–607

    Google Scholar 

  • Peacock WJ, Dennis ES, Rhoades MM, Pryor AJ (1981) Highly repeated DNA sequence limited to knob heterochromatin in maize. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:4490–4494

    Google Scholar 

  • Pruitt RE, Meyerowitz EM (1986) Characterization of the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana. J Mol Biol 187:169–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Pustell J, Kafatos FC (1984) A convenient and adaptable package of computer programs for DNA and protein sequence management, analysis, and homology determination. Nucl Acids Res 12:643–655

    Google Scholar 

  • Rigby PWJ, Dieckmann M, Rhodes C, Berg P (1977) Labeling deoxyribonucleic acid in vitro by nick translation with DNA polymerase I. J Mol Biol 113:237–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanger F, Nicklen S, Coulson AR (1977) DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:5463–5467

    Google Scholar 

  • Sears LMS, Lee-Chen S (1970) Cytogenetic studies in Arabidopsis thaliana. Can J Genet Cytol 12:217–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer MF (1982) Highly repeated sequences in mammalian genomes. Int Rev Cytol 76:67–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Somerville CR, Ogren WL (1982) Isolation of photorespiratory mutants of Arabidopsis. In: Edelman M, Hallick R, Chua NH (eds) Methods in chloroplast molecular biology. Elsevier, Amsterdam, p 129

    Google Scholar 

  • Viotti A, Privitera E, Sala E, Pogna N (1985) Distribution and clustering of two highly repeated sequences in the A and B chromosomes of maize. Theor Appl Genet 70:234–239

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XY, Fittler F, Horz W (1983) Eight different highly specific nucleosome phases on alpha-satellite DNA in the African green monkey. Nucleic Acids Res 11:4287–4306

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Communicated by G.R. Fink

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Martinez-Zapater, J.M., Estelle, M.A. & Somerville, C.R. A highly repeated DNA sequence in Arabidopsis thaliana . Molec Gen Genet 204, 417–423 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331018

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331018

Key words

Navigation