The regulation and potential functions of intronic satellite DNA
Name
1-s2.0-S1084952122001343-main.pdf
Description
Published version
Size
3.36 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
4ffbe7517b8fbea5dcac5274cf5724aa
Author(s)
Fingerhut, Jaclyn M
Yamashita, Yukiko M
Date Issued
2022
Journal
Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Citation
Fingerhut, Jaclyn M and Yamashita, Yukiko M. 2022. "The regulation and potential functions of intronic satellite DNA." Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 128.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Satellite DNAs are arrays of tandem repeats found in the eukaryotic genome. They are mainly found in pericentromeric heterochromatin and have been believed to be mostly inert, leading satellite DNAs to be erroneously regarded as junk. Recent studies have started to elucidate the function of satellite DNA, yet little is known about the peculiar case where satellite DNA is found within the introns of protein coding genes, resulting in incredibly large introns, a phenomenon termed intron gigantism. Studies in Drosophila demonstrated that satellite DNA-containing introns are transcribed with the gene and require specialized mechanisms to overcome the burdens imposed by the extremely long stretches of repetitive DNA. Whether intron gigantism confers any benefit or serves any functional purpose for cells and/or organisms remains elusive. Here we review our current understanding of intron gigantism: where it is found, the challenges it imposes, how it is regulated and what purpose it may serve.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SEMCDB.2022.04.010
