A comprehensive molecular cytogenetic analysis of chromosome rearrangements in gibbons
- Oronzo Capozzi1,
- Lucia Carbone2,
- Roscoe R Stanyon3,
- Annamaria Marra1,
- Fengtang Yang4,
- Christopher W Whelan5,
- Pieter J de Jong6,
- Mariano Rocchi7,9 and
- Nicoletta Archidiacono8
- 1 University of Bari, Italy;
- 2 Oregon Health & Science University;
- 3 University of Florence;
- 4 Sanger Centre;
- 5 Center for Spoken Language Understanding, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Portland, Orego;
- 6 Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute;
- 7 University of Bari;
- 8 University of Bari, italy
- ↵* Corresponding author; email: rocchi{at}biologia.uniba.it
Abstract
Chromosome rearrangements in small apes are up to 20 times more frequent than in most mammals. Because of their complexity, the full extent of chromosome evolution in these hominoids is not yet fully documented. However, previous work with array painting, BAC-FISH and selective sequencing in two of the four karyomorphs, has shown that high resolution methods can precisely define chromosome breakpoints and map the complex flow of evolutionary chromosome rearrangements. Here we use these tools to precisely define the rearrangements that have occurred in the remaining two karyomorphs, genera Symphalangus (2n=50), and Hoolock (2n=38). This research provides the most comprehensive insight into the evolutionary origins of chromosome rearrangements involved in transforming small apes genome. Bioinformatics analyses of the human-gibbon synteny breakpoints revealed association with transposable elements and segmental duplications providing some insight into the mechanisms that might have promoted rearrangements in small apes. In the near future, the comparison of gibbon genome sequences will provide novel insights to test hypotheses concerning the mechanisms of chromosome evolution. The precise definition of synteny block boundaries and orientation, chromosomal fusions, and centromere repositioning event presented here will facilitate genome sequence assembly for these close relatives of humans.
- Received February 5, 2012.
- Accepted August 13, 2012.
- © 2012, Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
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