Minisatellite

In genetics, a minisatellite is a tract of repetitive DNA in which certain DNA motifs (ranging in length from 10–60 base pairs) are typically repeated two to several hundred times.^[1] Minisatellites occur at more than 1,000 locations in the human genome and they are notable for their high mutation rate and high diversity in the population.^[2] Minisatellites are prominent in the centromeres and telomeres of chromosomes, the latter protecting the chromosomes from damage. The name "satellite" refers to the early observation that centrifugation of genomic DNA in a test tube separates a prominent layer of bulk DNA from accompanying "satellite" layers of repetitive DNA. Minisatellites are small sequences of DNA that do not encode proteins but appear throughout the genome hundreds of times, with many repeated copies lying next to each other.

Minisatellites and their shorter cousins, the microsatellites, together are classified as VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats) DNA. Confusingly, minisatellites are often referred to as VNTRs, and microsatellites are often referred to as short tandem repeats (STRs) or simple sequence repeats (SSRs).^[3]^[4]

^ Minisatellite at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
^ Tawn, E. Janet; Rees, Gwen S.; Leith, Cheryl; Winther, Jeanette F.; Curwen, Gillian B.; Stovall, Marilyn; Olsen, Jørgen H.; Rechnitzer, Catherine; Schroeder, Henrik; Guldberg, Per; Boice, John D. (March 2011). "Germline minisatellite mutations in survivors of childhood and young adult cancer treated with radiation". International Journal of Radiation Biology. 87 (3): 330–340. doi:10.3109/09553002.2011.530338. ISSN 0955-3002. PMC 3766628. PMID 21087171.
^ Turnpenny, P. & Ellard, S. (2005). Emery's Elements of Medical Genetics, 12th. ed. Elsevier, London.
^ Jangampalli Adi, Pradeep Kiran (May 2011). "Comparison and correlation of Simple Sequence Repeats distribution in genomes of Brucella species". Bioinformation. 6 (5): 179–182. doi:10.6026/97320630006179. PMC 3124796. PMID 21738309.

[1] Minisatellite at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

[2] Tawn, E. Janet; Rees, Gwen S.; Leith, Cheryl; Winther, Jeanette F.; Curwen, Gillian B.; Stovall, Marilyn; Olsen, Jørgen H.; Rechnitzer, Catherine; Schroeder, Henrik; Guldberg, Per; Boice, John D. (March 2011). "Germline minisatellite mutations in survivors of childhood and young adult cancer treated with radiation". International Journal of Radiation Biology. 87 (3): 330–340. doi:10.3109/09553002.2011.530338. ISSN 0955-3002. PMC 3766628. PMID 21087171.

[3] Turnpenny, P. & Ellard, S. (2005). Emery's Elements of Medical Genetics, 12th. ed. Elsevier, London.

[4] Jangampalli Adi, Pradeep Kiran (May 2011). "Comparison and correlation of Simple Sequence Repeats distribution in genomes of Brucella species". Bioinformation. 6 (5): 179–182. doi:10.6026/97320630006179. PMC 3124796. PMID 21738309.

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