Suiformes orthologous satellite DNAs as a hallmark of Pecari tajacu and Tayassu pecari (Tayassuidae) evolutionary rearrangements

In a broad general way, eukaryotic satellite DNA sequences are characterized by a highly dynamic molecular behavior due to concerted evolution that leads to rapid change between repeat sequences of different species, achieved by amplification of new variants during speciation or by gradual sequence evolution due to the accumulation of nucleotide substitutions. There are, although exceptions for this almost universal rule. We isolated variants from both the Mc1 and Ac2 pig (Sus scrofa, Suidae) satellite DNA families from the genomes of two Tayassuidae members: Pecari tajacu and Tayassu pecari, which have highly derived karyotypes. The presence of these sequences in both families' genomes (Suidae and Tayassuidae) implies their existence in a common ancestor, what confers to the variants the status of orthology and the approximate age of, at least 40 million years. While at the molecular composition level these orthologous sequences are highly homologous, cross-species physical mapping revealed a completely different chromosomal location in Suidae versus Tayassuidae families, most probably, reflecting the high level of divergence and chromosomes evolution pathways after radiation of each family. Detailed comparative analysis of the satellites assignment on the peccary's chromosomes revealed its co-localization with homologous evolutionary breakpoints in both species, suggesting their involvement in the rearrangement events. The complex behavior of the repeats evolution in the pig/peccaries genomes is here clearly illustrated. These sequences are molecularly preserved for a considerable period of time and display slow rates of sequence change, but show a dynamic motion behavior throughout the peccary's genomes that accompanied the great architectonic reorganization of Tayassuidae chromosomes during evolution. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.