title: Highly repeated DNA sequences in birds: the structure and evolution of an abundant, tandemly repeated 190-bp DNA fragment in parrots.
abstract: Up to 6.8% of the parrot (Psittaciformes) genome consists of a tandemly repeated, 190-bp sequence (P1) located in the centromere of many if not all chromosomes. Monomer repeats from 10 different psittacine species representing four subfamilies were isolated and cloned. The intraspecific sequence variation ranged from 1.5 to 7%. The interspecific sequence variation ranged from less than 3% between two species of cockatoos to approximately 45% between cockatoos and other parrots. The monomer sequences of all 10 parrot species contained several conserved (> 90%) sequence elements at identical locations within the repeat. A comparison with tandemly repeated DNA sequences in other avian species showed that several of these conserved elements were also present at similar locations within the 184-bp repeat of the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), suggesting a great antiquity of the repeat. One of the elements was also found in the tandemly repeated sequences of the crane (Gruidae) and falcon (Falconidae) families. The data were used for the construction of a partial most parsimonious relationship that supports a regional subdivision of the Psittaciformes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Medical Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: de Kloet
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: de Kloet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001717:Birds / Q000235:genetics; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010311:Parrots / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004247:DNA