Programmed Loss of Millions of Base Pairs from a Vertebrate Genome
Abstract
In general, the strict preservation of broad-scale structure is thought to be critical for maintaining the precisely tuned functionality of vertebrate genomes, although nearly all vertebrate species undergo a small number of programmed local rearrangements during development (e.g., remodeling of adaptive immune receptor loci). However, a limited number of metazoan species undergo much more extensive reorganizations as a normal feature of their development. Here, we show that the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), a jawless vertebrate, undergoes a dramatic remodeling of its genome, resulting in the elimination of hundreds of millions of base pairs (and at least one transcribed locus) from many somatic cell lineages during embryonic development. These studies reveal the highly dynamic nature of the lamprey genome and provide the first example of broad-scale programmed rearrangement of a definitively vertebrate genome. Understanding the mechanisms by which this vertebrate species regulates such extensive remodeling of its genome will provide invaluable insight into factors that can promote stability and change in vertebrate genomes.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-7-2009
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0902358106
Repository Citation
Smith, Jeramiah J.; Antonacci, Francesca; Eichler, Evan E.; and Amemiya, Chris T., "Programmed Loss of Millions of Base Pairs from a Vertebrate Genome" (2009). Biology Faculty Publications. 15.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/biology_facpub/15
Notes/Citation Information
Published in PNAS, v. 106, no. 27, p. 11212–11217.
Dr. Jeramiah J. Smith was not yet affiliated with the University of Kentucky at the time of publication.