title: Characterization of three different clusters of 18S-26S ribosomal DNA genes in the sea urchin P. lividus: Genetic and epigenetic regulation synchronous to 5S rDNA.
abstract: We previously reported the characterization 5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clusters in the common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and demonstrated the presence of DNA methylation-dependent silencing of embryo specific 5S rDNA cluster in adult tissue. In this work, we show genetic and epigenetic characterization of 18S-26S rDNA clusters in this specie. The results indicate the presence of three different 18S-26S rDNA clusters with different Non-Transcribed Spacer (NTS) regions that have different chromosomal localizations. Moreover, we show that the two largest clusters are hyper-methylated in the promoter-containing NTS regions in adult tissues, as in the 5S rDNA. These findings demonstrate an analogous epigenetic regulation in small and large rDNA clusters and support the logical synchronism in building ribosomes. In fact, all the ribosomal RNA genes must be synchronously and equally transcribed to perform their unique final product.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Biologia Cellulare, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy; Laboratorio di Ingegneria Tissutale, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, c/o Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche e Forensi (DIBIMEF), Università di Palermo, Via Divisi, 81, 90133 Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: daniele.bellavia@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bellavia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Biologia Cellulare, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Eufrosina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dimarco
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Biologia Cellulare, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caradonna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005810:Multigene Family; D047328:Paracentrotus / Q000235:genetics*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S; C065096:RNA, ribosomal, 26S
keywords: 18S–26S rDNA; MSRE-PCR analysis; Methylation status; Ribosome; Sea urchin