title: Conservation of pBuM-2 satellite DNA sequences among geographically isolated Drosophila gouveai populations from Brazil.
abstract: In this study, we have compared 34 repetition units of pBuM-2 satellite DNA of individuals from six isolated populations of Drosophila gouveai, a cactophilic member of Drosophila buzzatii cluster (repleta group). In contrast to the results of previous morphological and molecular data, which suggest differentiation among the D. gouveai populations, the sequences and the cluster analysis of pBuM-2 monomers showed that this repetitive element is highly conserved among the six D. gouveai populations (97.8% similarity), indicating a slow rate of evolution of pBuM-2 sequences at the population level. Probably, some homogenization mechanisms of tandem sequences, such as unequal crossing or gene conversion, have maintained the sequence similarity of pBuM-2 among D. gouveai populations. Alternatively, such a result may be associated with a functional role of pBuM-2 sequences, although it is not understood at present.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Universidade de São Paulo-Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Bloco A - Av. dos Bandeirantes, 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. fffranco@rge.fmrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Fernando Faria
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: de Franco
authors.forename: Gustavo Campos Silva
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Fábio Melo
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: de Sene
authors.forename: Maura Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Manfrin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004276:DNA, Satellite / Q000235:genetics*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005828:Genetics, Population; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D004276:DNA, Satellite