title: Genome size and organization in the ixodid tick Amblyomma americanum (L.).
abstract: We used DNA reassociation kinetics to determine genome size and organization in the ixodid tick Amblyomma americanum. We calculated the genome size of A. americanum to be approximately 1.08 pg or 1.04 x 10(9) base pairs and to consist of 35.8% unique DNA, 4.2% foldback sequences, 17.9% highly repetitive sequences, and 42.1% moderately repetitive sequences. Comparison of the reassociation kinetics of long and short fragments revealed repetitive sequences to be distributed in a pattern of long period interspersion, a feature that, to date, has been associated with arthropod genomes that lack a high percentage of repetitive DNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater 74078.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bantle
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Fargo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D016678:Genome; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013987:Ticks / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA