title: Organization and evolution of Gorilla centromeric DNA from old strategies to new approaches.
abstract: The centromere/kinetochore interaction is responsible for the pairing and segregation of replicated chromosomes in eukaryotes. Centromere DNA is portrayed as scarcely conserved, repetitive in nature, quickly evolving and protein-binding competent. Among primates, the major class of centromeric DNA is the pancentromeric α-satellite, made of arrays of 171 bp monomers, repeated in a head-to-tail pattern. α-satellite sequences can either form tandem heterogeneous monomeric arrays or assemble in higher-order repeats (HORs). Gorilla centromere DNA has barely been characterized, and data are mainly based on hybridizations of human alphoid sequences. We isolated and finely characterized gorilla α-satellite sequences and revealed relevant structure and chromosomal distribution similarities with other great apes as well as gorilla-specific features, such as the uniquely octameric structure of the suprachromosomal family-2 (SF2). We demonstrated for the first time the orthologous localization of alphoid suprachromosomal families-1 and -2 (SF1 and SF2) between human and gorilla in contrast to chimpanzee centromeres. Finally, the discovery of a new 189 bp monomer type in gorilla centromeres unravels clues to the role of the centromere protein B, paving the way to solve the significance of the centromere DNA's essential repetitive nature in association with its function and the peculiar evolution of the α-satellite sequence.
authors.affiliation: University of Bari Aldo Moro, Department of Biology, Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70125, Italy.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Catacchio
authors.affiliation: University of Bari Aldo Moro, Department of Biology, Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70125, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ragone
authors.affiliation: University of Bari Aldo Moro, Department of Biology, Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70125, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chiatante
authors.affiliation: University of Bari Aldo Moro, Department of Biology, Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70125, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ventura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics*; D000076247:Centromere Protein A; D051936:Centromere Protein B / Q000235:genetics*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004276:DNA, Satellite / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011148:Pongo pygmaeus / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D000076247:Centromere Protein A; D051936:Centromere Protein B; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004276:DNA, Satellite