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Review

Decoding the Role of Satellite DNA in Genome Architecture and Plasticity—An Evolutionary and Clinical Affair

1
Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
2
Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Genes 2020, 11(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11010072
Received: 16 December 2019 / Revised: 29 December 2019 / Accepted: 8 January 2020 / Published: 9 January 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms Driving Karyotype Evolution and Genomic Architecture)
Repetitive DNA is a major organizational component of eukaryotic genomes, being intrinsically related with their architecture and evolution. Tandemly repeated satellite DNAs (satDNAs) can be found clustered in specific heterochromatin-rich chromosomal regions, building vital structures like functional centromeres and also dispersed within euchromatin. Interestingly, despite their association to critical chromosomal structures, satDNAs are widely variable among species due to their high turnover rates. This dynamic behavior has been associated with genome plasticity and chromosome rearrangements, leading to the reshaping of genomes. Here we present the current knowledge regarding satDNAs in the light of new genomic technologies, and the challenges in the study of these sequences. Furthermore, we discuss how these sequences, together with other repeats, influence genome architecture, impacting its evolution and association with disease. View Full-Text
Keywords: satellite DNA; genome architecture; chromosome restructuring; Robertsonian translocations; satellite DNA transcription satellite DNA; genome architecture; chromosome restructuring; Robertsonian translocations; satellite DNA transcription
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MDPI and ACS Style

Louzada, S.; Lopes, M.; Ferreira, D.; Adega, F.; Escudeiro, A.; Gama-Carvalho, M.; Chaves, R. Decoding the Role of Satellite DNA in Genome Architecture and Plasticity—An Evolutionary and Clinical Affair. Genes 2020, 11, 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11010072

AMA Style

Louzada S, Lopes M, Ferreira D, Adega F, Escudeiro A, Gama-Carvalho M, Chaves R. Decoding the Role of Satellite DNA in Genome Architecture and Plasticity—An Evolutionary and Clinical Affair. Genes. 2020; 11(1):72. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11010072

Chicago/Turabian Style

Louzada, Sandra, Mariana Lopes, Daniela Ferreira, Filomena Adega, Ana Escudeiro, Margarida Gama-Carvalho, and Raquel Chaves. 2020. "Decoding the Role of Satellite DNA in Genome Architecture and Plasticity—An Evolutionary and Clinical Affair" Genes 11, no. 1: 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes11010072

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