Banded krait minor satellite (Bkm) contains sex and species-specific repetitive DNA.
A novel class of repetitive DNA was isolated from a Bkm DNA library by exclusion hybridization. This sequence was mapped to the short arm of the W chromosome of banded krait, Bungarus fasciatus. Southern blot hybridization showed that these sequences are sex and species specific. Sequence analysis of a 206 bp long clone, BR87, revealed the presence of a tandem array of two internal repeat units of 18-19 bp alternating with each other with a gap of 1, 2 of 3 nucleotides. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an exclusively W chromosome- and species-specific repeat isolated from any reptile. The functional significance of this sequence based on its organisation is discussed.
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
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Panicker
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Singh
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017838:Bungarus / Q000235:genetics*; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D004276:DNA, Satellite / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013045:Species Specificity
D004276:DNA, Satellite