Journal
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
Volume 67, Issue 1, Pages 43-62Publisher
SPRINGER BASEL AG
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-009-0131-2
Keywords
Non-B DNA structures; Repetitive sequences; Genomic instability; Evolutionary change; Gene regulation
Categories
Funding
- NIH/NCI [CA093729]
- NIH/NIEHS [ES015707]
- NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE [P30CA016672, R01CA093729] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES [R01ES015707, P30ES007784] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Repetitive DNA motifs are abundant in the genomes of various species and have the capacity to adopt non-canonical (i.e., non-B) DNA structures. Several non-B DNA structures, including cruciforms, slipped structures, triplexes, G-quadruplexes, and Z-DNA, have been shown to cause mutations, such as deletions, expansions, and translocations in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Their distributions in genomes are not random and often co-localize with sites of chromosomal breakage associated with genetic diseases. Current genome-wide sequence analyses suggest that the genomic instabilities induced by non-B DNA structure-forming sequences not only result in predisposition to disease, but also contribute to rapid evolutionary changes, particularly in genes associated with development and regulatory functions. In this review, we describe the occurrence of non-B DNA-forming sequences in various species, the classes of genes enriched in non-B DNA-forming sequences, and recent mechanistic studies on DNA structure-induced genomic instability to highlight their importance in genomes.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available