The proto-oncogene C-KIT maps to canid B-chromosomes.
Plant and animal karyotypes sometimes contain variable elements, that are referred to as additional or B-chromosomes. It is generally believed that B-chromosomes lack major genes and represent parasitic and selfish elements of a genome. Here we report, for the first time, the localization of a gene to B-chromosomes of mammals: red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and two subspecies of raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). Identification of the proto-oncogene C-KIT on B-chromosomes of two Canidae species that diverged from a common ancestor more than 12.5 million years ago argues against the current view of B-chromosomes. Analyses of fox B-chromosomal C-KIT gene from a flow-sorted fox B-chromosome-specific library revealed the presence of intron-exon boundaries and high identity between sequenced regions of canine and fox B-chromosomal C-KIT copies. Identification of C-KIT gene on all B-chromosomes of two canid species provides new insight into the origin and evolution of supernumeraries and their potential role in the genome.
Graphodatsky
Alexander S
AS
Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia. graf@bionet.nsc.ru
Kukekova
Anna V
AV
Yudkin
Dmitry V
DV
Trifonov
Vladimir A
VA
Vorobieva
Nadezhda V
NV
Beklemisheva
Violetta R
VR
Perelman
Polina L
PL
Graphodatskaya
Daria A
DA
Trut
Lyudmila N
LN
Yang
Fengtang
F
Ferguson-Smith
Malcolm A
MA
Acland
Gregory M
GM
Aguirre
Gustavo D
GD
D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D033481:Chromosomes, Mammalian / Q000235:genetics*; D015342:DNA Probes; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005589:Foxes / Q000235:genetics*; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics*; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D046031:Raccoon Dogs / Q000235:genetics*
D015342:DNA Probes; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit