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.
Highlights
In multicellular eukaryotes the pairing and segregation of replicated chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis is essential to guarantee the complete and correct chromosomal complement in daughter cells
Our investigation of gorilla centromeres was first achieved by isolating gorilla (GGO) centromeric DNA using human alphoid DNA sequence similarities[47,48,49] and subsequently collecting Gorilla gorilla (GGO) bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) α -satellite clones and long gorilla centromeric sequences from online databases
We used the amplicons as probes in fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments on gorilla metaphase chromosomes
Summary
In multicellular eukaryotes the pairing and segregation of replicated chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis is essential to guarantee the complete and correct chromosomal complement in daughter cells. The major class of centromeric DNA is the pancentromeric α -satellite, composed of long stretches of 171 bp monomers, tandemly repeated in a head-to-tail pattern that extends for ~250 kbp up to ~5 Mbp per chromosome[8,9,10]. These sequences have been identified throughout the primate order, including great apes, Old World and New World monkeys[11,12,13,14], with the exception of the suborder www.nature.com/scientificreports/. The α -satellite can be variously classified, depending on its (i) primary sequence, (ii) multimeric structure and (iii) localization with respect to the centromere
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