A CR1 element is embedded in a novel tandem repeat (HinfI repeat) within the chicken genome.
Highly repetitive DNA sequences constitute a significant portion of most eukaryotic genomes, raising questions about their evolutionary origins and amplification dynamics. In this study, a novel chicken repetitive DNA family, the HinfI repeat, was characterized. The basic repeating unit of this family displays a uniform length of 770 bp, which was defined by the recognition site of HinfI. The HinfI repeat was specifically localized in the pericentric region of chromosome 4 by fluorescence in situ hybridization and constitutes 0.51% of the chicken genome. Interestingly, a chicken repeat 1 (CR1) element has been identified within this basic repeating unit. Like other CR1 elements, this CR1 element also displays typical retrotransposition characteristics, including a highly conserved 3' region and a badly truncated 5' end. This direct evidence from sequence analysis, together with our Southern blot results, suggests that the HinfI repeat may originate from a unique region containing a retrotransposed CR1 element.
Li
Juan
J
Department of Zoology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong kong SAR, China.
Leung
Frederick C
FC
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002645:Chickens; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000235:genetics; D016678:Genome; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences
D018626:Retroelements; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C032229:GANTC-specific type II deoxyribonucleases