Species-specific evolution of repeated DNA sequences in great apes.
DNA sequencing reveals that the genomes of the human, gorilla and chimpanzee share more than 98% homology. Comparative chromosome painting and gene mapping have demonstrated that only a few rearrangements of a putative ancestral mammalian genome occurred during great ape and human evolution. However, interspecies representational difference analysis (RDA) of the gorilla between human and gorilla revealed gorilla-specific DNA sequences. Cloning and sequencing of gorilla-specific DNA sequences indicate that there are repetitive elements. Gorilla-specific DNA sequences were mapped by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) to the subcentromeric/centromeric regions of three pairs of gorilla submetacentric chromosomes. These sequences could represent either ancient sequences that got lost in other species, such as human and orang-utan, or, more likely, recent sequences which evolved or originated specifically in the gorilla genome.
Toder
R
R
Institute of Human Genetics and Anthropology, University of Freiburg, Germany. rtoder@biochip.com
Grützner
F
F
Haaf
T
T
Bausch
E
E
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015894:Genome, Human; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics*; D011148:Pongo pygmaeus / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D004247:DNA