Genes on B chromosomes: Old questions revisited with new tools

0440518 - BC 2016 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Banaei-Moghaddam, A.M. - Martis, M.M. - Macas, Jiří - Gundlach, H. - Himmelbach, A. - Altschmied, L. - Mayer, K. F. X. - Houben, A.
Genes on B chromosomes: Old questions revisited with new tools.
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-Gene Regulatory Mechanisms. Roč. 1849, č. 1 (2015), s. 64-70. ISSN 1874-9399. E-ISSN 1876-4320
R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP501/12/G090
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : Gene regulation * genome evolution * junk DNA * pseudogene * transcription
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 5.373, year: 2015

Background: B chromosomes are supernumerary dispensable parts of the karyotype which appear in some individuals of some populations in some species. Often, they have been considered as 'junk DNA' or genomic parasites without functional genes. Scope of review: Due to recent advances in sequencing technologies, it became possible to investigate their DNA composition, transcriptional activity and effects on the host transcriptome profile in detail. Here, we review the most recent findings regarding the gene content of B chromosomes and their transcriptional activities and discuss these findings in the context of comparable biological phenomena, like sex chromosomes, aneuploidy and pseudogenes. Major conclusions: Recent data suggest that B chromosomes carry transcriptionally active genic sequences which could affect the transcriptome profile of their host genome.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0243608