The biological significance of variation in satellite DNA and heterochromatin in newts of the genus Triturus : an evolutionary perspective

1986 ◽  
Vol 312 (1154) ◽  
pp. 243-259 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Satellite Dna ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Sequence Structure ◽  
Cell Cycle Time ◽  
Satellite Dnas ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Simple Sequence

The functional and evolutionary significance of highly repetitive, simple sequence (satellite) DNA is analysed by examining available information on the patterns of variation of heterochromatin and cloned satellites among newts (family Salamandridae), and particularly species of the European genus Triturus . This information is used to develop a model linking evolutionary changes in satellite DNAs and chromosome structure. In this model, satellites accumulate initially in large tandem blocks around centromeres of some or all of the chromosomes, mainly by repeated chromosomal exchanges in these regions. Centromeric blocks later become broken up and dispersed by small, random chromosome rearrangements in these regions. They are dispersed first to pericentric locations and then gradually more distally into the chromosome arms and telomeres. Dispersal of a particular satellite is accompanied by changes in sequence structure (for example, base substitutions, deletions, etc.) and a corresponding decrease in its detectability at either the molecular or cytological level. On the basis of this model, observed satellites in newt species may be classified as ‘old ’, ‘young’, or of ‘intermediate’ phylogenetic age. The functions and effects of satellite DNA and heterochromatin at the cellular and organismal levels are also discussed. It is suggested that satellite DNA may have an impact on cell proliferation through the effect of late-replicating satellite-rich heterochromatin on the duration of S-phase of the cell cycle. It is argued that even small alterations in cell cycle time due to changes in heterochromatin am ount may have magnified effects on organismal growth that may be of adaptive significance.

scholarly journals Cell cycle dynamics of NG2 cells in the postnatal and ageing brain

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 57-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantina Psachoulia ◽  
Francoise Jamen ◽  
Kaylene M. Young ◽  
William D. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Growth Fraction ◽  
Cell Cycle Time ◽  
Active Population ◽  
Dorsal Telencephalon ◽  
Ng2 Cells ◽  
Cell Cycle Dynamics ◽  
Ageing Brain

Oligodendrocyte precursors (OLPs or ‘NG2 cells’) are abundant in the adult mouse brain, where they continue to proliferate and generate new myelinating oligodendrocytes. By cumulative BrdU labelling, we estimated the cell cycle timeTCand the proportion of NG2 cells that is actively cycling (the growth fraction) at ~ postnatal day 6 (P6), P60, P240 and P540. In the corpus callosum,TCincreased from <2 days at P6 to ~9 days at P60 to ~70 days at P240 and P540. In the cortex,TCincreased from ~2 days to >150 days over the same period. The growth fraction remained relatively invariant at ~50% in both cortex and corpus callosum – that is, similar numbers of mitotically active and inactive NG2 cells co-exist at all ages. Our data imply that a stable population of quiescent NG2 cells appears before the end of the first postnatal week and persists throughout life. The mitotically active population acts as a source of new oligodendrocytes during adulthood, while the biological significance of the quiescent population remains to be determined. We found that the mitotic status of adult NG2 cells is unrelated to their developmental site of origin in the ventral or dorsal telencephalon. We also report that new oligodendrocytes continue to be formed at a slow rate from NG2 cells even after P240 (8 months of age).

scholarly journals SSRD: Simple Sequence Repeats Database of the Human Genome

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subbaya Subramanian ◽  
Vamsi M. Madgula ◽  
Ranjan George ◽  
Satish Kumar ◽  
Madhusudhan W. Pandit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Genome ◽  
Simple Sequence Repeats ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Repeat Sequence ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Intergenic Regions ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Simple Sequence

Simple sequence repeats are predominantly found in most organisms. They play a major role in studies of genetic diversity, and are useful as diagnostic markers for many diseases. The simple sequence repeats database (SSRD) for the human genome was created for easy access to such repeats, for analysis, and to be used to understand their biological significance. The data includes the abundance and distribution of SSRs in the coding and non-coding regions of the genome, as well as their association with the UTRs of genes. The exact locations of repeats with respect to genomic regions (such as UTRs, exons, introns or intergenic regions) and their association with STS markers are also highlighted. The resource will facilitate repeat sequence analysis in the human genome and the understanding of the functional and evolutionary significance of simple sequence repeats. SSRD is available through two websites, http://www.ccmb.res.in/ssr and http://www.ingenovis.com/ssr.

Proliferative behaviour of high-ploidy cells in two murine tumour lines

1993 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. de la Hoz ◽  
A. Baroja
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Content ◽  
Film Studies ◽  
Biological Significance ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Proliferative Potential ◽  
Malignant Tumours ◽  
B16f10 Melanoma ◽  
Murine Tumour ◽  
High Ploidy

The presence of high-ploidy cells in malignant tumours has long been documented. However, the biological significance of these cells is not known and there is a great deal of controversy over their proliferative potential. We have analysed the behaviour of these cells in two murine tumour lines, B16F10 melanoma and 3T3A31M angiosarcoma, determining their DNA content by microspectrophotometry and using time-lapse film studies. We have found a discrepancy between the presence of high-ploidy cells in metaphase and the absence of hyperploid telophases. High-ploidy metaphases may be aborted (mitotic polyploidization), prolonged in time or evolve in the form of multipolar, generally tripolar, mitoses. Our results suggest that high-ploidy cells are capable of proliferating, despite certain peculiarities in their cell cycle, and constitute a tumour subpopulation whose role in neoplasia merits further study.

scholarly journals Nucleotide sequences of highly repeated DNAs; compilation and comments

1982 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
George L. Gabor Miklos ◽  
Amanda Clare Gill
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Dna ◽  
Germ Line ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Allelic Variation ◽  
Neutral Theory ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Nucleotide Sequence Data ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Repeated Dnas

SummaryThe nucleotide sequence data from highly repeated DNAs of inverte-brates and mammals are summarized and briefly discussed. Very similar conclusions can be drawn from the two data bases. Sequence complexities can vary from 2 bp to at least 359 bp in invertebrates and from 3 bp to at least 2350 bp in mammals. The larger sequences may or may not exhibit a substructure. Significant sequence variation occurs for any given repeated array within a species, but the sources of this heterogeneity have not been systematically partitioned. The types of alterations in a basic repeating unit can involve base changes as well as deletions or additions which can vary from 1 bp to at least 98 bp in length. These changes indicate that sequence per se is unlikely to be under significant biological constraints and may sensibly be examined by analogy to Kimura's neutral theory for allelic variation. It is not possible with the present evidence to discriminate between the roles of neutral and selective mechanisms in the evolution of highly repeated DNA.Tandemly repeated arrays are constantly subjected to cycles of amplification and deletion by mechanisms for which the available data stem largely from ribosomal genes. It is a matter of conjecture whether the solutions to the mechanistic puzzles involved in amplification or rapid redeployment of satellite sequences throughout a genome will necessarily give any insight into biological functions.The lack of significant somatic effects when the satellite DNA content of a genome is significantly perturbed indicates that the hunt for specific functions at the cellular level is unlikely to prove profitable.The presence or in some cases the amount of satellite DNA on a chromosome, however, can have significant effects in the germ line. There the data show that localized condensed chromatin, rich in satellite DNA, can have the effect of rendering adjacent euchromatic regions rec−, or of altering levels of recombination on different chromosomes. No data stemming from natural populations however are yet available to tell us if these effects are of adaptive or evolutionary significance.

Nuclear DNA content and minimum generation time in herbaceous plants

1972 ◽  
Vol 181 (1063) ◽  
pp. 109-135 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Content ◽  
Cycle Time ◽  
Generation Time ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Nuclear Dna Content ◽  
Annual Species ◽  
Cell Cycle Time ◽  
Developmental Processes ◽  
The Mean

Many components of cell and nuclear size and mass are correlated with nuclear DNA content in plants, as also are the durations and rates of such developmental processes as mitosis and meiosis. It is suggested that the multiple effects of the mass of nuclear DNA which affect all cells and apply throughout the life of the plant can together determine the minimum generation time for each species. The durations of mitosis and of meiosis are both positively correlated with nuclear DNA content and, therefore, species with a short minimum generation time might be expected to have a shorter mean cell cycle time and mean meiotic duration, and a lower mean nuclear DNA content, than species with a long mean minimum generation time. In tests of this hypothesis, using data collated from the literature, it is shown that the mean cell cycle time and the mean meiotic duration in annual species is significantly shorter than in perennial species. Furthermore, the mean nuclear DNA content of annual species is significantly lower than for perennial species both in dicotyledons and monocotyledons. Ephemeral species have a significantly lower mean nuclear DNA content than annual species. Among perennial monocotyledons the mean nuclear DNA content of species which can complete a life cycle within one year (facultative perennials) is significantly lower than the mean nuclear DNA content of those which cannot (obligate perennials). However, the mean nuclear DNA content of facultative perennials does not differ significantly from the mean for annual species. It is suggested that the effects of nuclear DNA content on the duration of developmental processes are most obvious during its determinant stages, and that the largest effects of nuclear DNA mass are expressed at times when development is slowest, for instance, during meiosis or at low temperature. It has been suggested that DNA influences development in two ways, directly through its informational content, and indirectly by the physical-mechanical effects of its mass. The term 'nucleotype' is used to describe those conditions of the nucleus which effect the phenotype independently of the informational content of the DNA. It is suggested that cell cycle time, meiotic duration, and minimum generation time are determined by the nucleotype. In addition, it may be that satellite DNA is significant in its nucleotypic effects on developmental processes.

scholarly journals Differences in cell cycle characteristics among patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia

Blood ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1647-1653 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Raza ◽  
Y Maheshwari ◽  
HD Preisler
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Tritiated Thymidine ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Total Cell ◽  
Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia ◽  
Cell Cycle Time ◽  
Myeloid Leukemias ◽  
History Of

The proliferative characteristics of myeloid leukemias were defined in vivo after intravenous infusions of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) in 40 patients. The percentage of S-phase cells obtained from the biopsies (mean, 20%) were significantly higher (P = .00003) than those determined from the bone marrow (BM) aspirates (mean, 9%). The post- BrdU infusion BM aspirates from 40 patients were incubated with tritiated thymidine in vitro. These double-labeled slides were utilized to determine the duration of S-phase (Ts) in myeloblasts and their total cell cycle time (Tc). The Ts varied from four to 49 hours (mean, 19 hours; median, 17 hours). Similarly, there were wide variations in Tc of individual patients ranging from 16 to 292 hours (mean, 93 hours; median, 76 hours). There was no relationship between Tc and the percentage of S-phase cells, but there was a good correlation between Tc and Ts (r = .8). Patients with relapsed acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) appeared to have a longer Ts and Tc than those studied at initial diagnosis. A subgroup of patients at either extreme of Tc were identified who demonstrated clinically documented resistance in response to multiple courses of chemotherapy. We conclude that Ts and Tc provide additional biologic information that may be valuable in understanding the variations observed in the natural history of ANLL.

scholarly journals Possible role of natural selection in the formation of tandem-repetitive noncoding DNA.

Genetics ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 333-341
Author(s):  
W Stephan ◽  
S Cho
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Satellite Dna ◽  
Repeat Length ◽  
Crossing Over ◽  
Recombination Rates ◽  
Noncoding Dna ◽  
Satellite Dnas ◽  
Unequal Crossing Over ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Long Range Ordering

Abstract A simulation model of sequence-dependent amplification, unequal crossing over and mutation is analyzed. This model predicts the spontaneous formation of tandem-repetitive patterns of noncoding DNA from arbitrary sequences for a wide range of parameter values. Natural selection is found to play an essential role in this self-organizing process. Natural selection which is modeled as a mechanism for controlling the length of a nucleotide string but not the sequence itself favors the formation of tandem-repetitive structures. Two measures of sequence heterogeneity, inter-repeat variability and repeat length, are analyzed in detail. For fixed mutation rate, both inter-repeat variability and repeat length are found to increase with decreasing rates of (unequal) crossing over. The results are compared with data on micro-, mini- and satellite DNAs. The properties of minisatellites and satellite DNAs resemble the simulated structures very closely. This suggests that unequal crossing over is a dominant long-range ordering force which keeps these arrays homogeneous even in regions of very low recombination rates, such as at satellite DNA loci. Our analysis also indicates that in regions of low rates of (unequal) crossing over, inter-repeat variability is maintained at a low level at the expense of much larger repeat units (multimeric repeats), which are characteristic of satellite DNA. In contrast, the microsatellite data do not fit the proposed model well, suggesting that unequal crossing over does not act on these very short tandem arrays.

Cell number in relation to primary pattern formation in the embryo of Xenopus laevis

Development ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-289
Author(s):  
Jonathan Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Pattern Formation ◽  
Cell Cycle Control ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
The Body ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Tail Bud ◽  
Cell Cycle Time ◽  
Mesodermal Cell ◽  
Body Pattern

Morphological evidence is presented that definitive mesoderm formation in Xenopus is best understood as extending to the end of the neurula phase of development. A process of recruitment of cells from the deep neurectoderm layers into mesodermal position and behaviour, strictly comparable with that already agreed to occur around the internal blastoporal ‘lip’ during gastrula stages, can be shown to continue at the posterior end of the presumptive body pattern up to stage 20 (earliest tail bud). Spatial patterns of incidence of mitosis are described for the fifteen hours of development between the late gastrula and stage 20–22. These are related to the onset of new cell behaviours and overt cyto-differentiations characterizing the dorsal axial pattern,which occur in cranio-caudal and then medio-lateral spatial sequence as development proceeds. A relatively abrupt cessation of mitosis, among hitherto asynchronously cycling cells,precedes the other changes at each level in the presumptive axial pattern. The widespread incidence of cells still in DNA synthesis, anterior to the last mitoses in the posterior-to-anteriordevelopmental sequence of axial tissue, strongly suggests that cells of notochord and somites in their prolonged, non-cycling phase are G2-arrested, and thus tetraploid. This is discussed in relation to what is known of cell-cycle control in other situations. Best estimates for cell-cycle time in the still-dividing, posterior mesoderm of the neurula lie between 10 and 15 h. The supposition of continuing recruitment from neurectoderm can resolve an apparent discrepancy whereby total mesodermal cell number nevertheless contrives to double over a period of approximately 12 h during neurulation when most of the cells are leaving the cycle. Because of pre-existing evidence that cells maintain their relative positions (despite distortion)during the movements that form the mesodermal mantle, the patterns presented in this paper can be understood in two ways: as a temporal sequence of developmental events undergone by individual, posteriorly recruited cells as they achieve their final positions in the body pattern, or alternatively as a succession of wavefronts with respect to changes of cellstate, passing obliquely across the presumptive body pattern in antero-posterior direction. These concepts are discussed briefly in relation to recent ideas about pattern formation in growing systems.

Cell proliferation in the developing wing-bud of normal and talpid3 mutant chick embryos

Development ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 589-607
Author(s):  
D. A. Ede ◽  
O. P. Flint ◽  
P. Teague
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Mitotic Rate ◽  
Mitotic Division ◽  
Chick Embryos ◽  
Division Rate ◽  
Cell Cycle Time ◽  
Continuous Sampling ◽  
Wing Bud ◽  
Marked Drop

Previous measurements on mitotic division rate or cell cycle time have been made on samples from a few discrete limb regions or by continuous sampling, but only down a unidimensional limb axis, disregarding morphological discontinuities such as the presence or absence of cartilage. This study presents a new analysis on normal and talpid3 mutant chick embryos, measuring mitotic rate and also cell density through the central proximo-distal axis and at the limb periphery, taking into account the development of cartilage regions. Differentiation of cartilage is correlated with a marked drop in mitotic rate, accounting for a proximo-distal gradient of mitosis in central counts which was not observed at the limb periphery. Talpid3 limbs at an early stage show a central mitotic gradient, but the reverse of that observed in normal limbs.

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