Open AccessSatellite DNA and speciation: A species specific satellite DNA of Drosophila guanche l
Author(s) -
Bachmann L.,
Raab M.,
Sperlich D.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of zoological systematics and evolutionary research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.769
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1439-0469
pISSN - 0947-5745
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0469.1989.tb00333.x
Subject(s) - biology , satellite dna , repeated sequence , genetics , genome , dna sequencing , heterochromatin , ploidy , satellite , dna , karyotype , tandem repeat , nucleic acid sequence , chromosome , evolutionary biology , gene , engineering , aerospace engineering
Abstract The heterochromatin of the chromosomes of Drosophila gunche consists mainly of a satellite DNA composed of multiple, tandemly arranged copies of a 290 b p basic sequence. Five clones containing one or two copies of the basic unit were sequenced. As expected from CsCl density centrifugation and AT specific staining of mitotic chromosomes the sequence is AT rich. The average nucleotid variability between the cloned sequences is 11.6%. In situ hybridization on the mitotic chromosomes revealed, that this satellite DNA is present in the centromeric regions of all chromosomes but the Y. The nucleotide variability between copies of different tandem clusters seems to be higher than between members of the same cluster. The copy number of the sequence in the haploid genome was estimated to be approximately 80000. The sequence is species specific and is not present in the genome of sibling species D. subobscura and D. madeiren‐sis . The evolutionary origin of the satellite DNA and its possible role in species formation is discussed.