Satellite DNAs in Physiology and Evolution

This book gives a comprehensive overview of the unique roles that non-coding repetitive elements such as satellite DNAs play in different physiological and evolutionary processes.

It presents the gene-regulatory aspect of satellite DNAs in different model systems including mammals, insects and plants. In addition, evolutionary aspects of activation of satellite DNAs in terms of transcription and proliferation are highlighted, revealing the role of satellite DNAs in the process of adaptation to changing environment and in the speciation process.

Finally, the book discusses satellite DNA activation during pathological transformation and the mechanisms by which they affect disease progression. Namely, some satellite DNAs promote the oncogenic processes by affecting genome epigenetic regulation as well as genome integrity. Readers get a full overview of the latest research on satellite DNA.

Ðurdica Ugarkovic received her PhD in Biochemistry at University of Zagreb and performed postdoctoral studies at the Laboratory of Applied Molecular Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. She is senior researcher and head of Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics at Ruder Boskovic Institute in Zagreb and professor at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia.
Her major research interest is studying evolution and function of satellite DNA, which is a major DNA component of heterochromatin in many eukaryotes. Using the beetle Tribolium castaneum as a model system, her group demonstrated for the first time the role of satellite DNA in the modulation of gene expression and revealed the molecular mechanism of their gene-regulatory activity. The influence of satellite DNA on neighbouring genes is epigenetic in nature and is induced upon heat stress, suggesting an important role of satellite DNA in the environmental adaptation. Ð. Ugarkovic predicted the presence of functional elements within satellite DNAs and, together with colleagues at the Ruder Boskovic Institute, provided the first experimental evidence for the existence of a set or a 'library' of satellite DNAs shared among related species. This explained a mode of satellite DNA evolution which is based on random amplification from the common 'library'.
She is member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) since 2000 and associate member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Autorentext
urica Ugarkovi received her PhD in Biochemistry at University of Zagreb and performed postdoctoral studies at the Laboratory of Applied Molecular Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. She is senior researcher and head of Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics at Ruer Bokovi Institute in Zagreb and professor at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia.
Her major research interest is studying evolution and function of satellite DNA, which is a major DNA component of heterochromatin in many eukaryotes. Using the beetle Tribolium castaneum as a model system, her group demonstrated for the first time the role of satellite DNA in the modulation of gene expression and revealed the molecular mechanism of their gene-regulatory activity. The influence of satellite DNA on neighbouring genes is epigenetic in nature and is induced upon heat stress, suggesting an important role of satellite DNA in the environmental adaptation. . Ugarkovi predicted the presence of functional elements within satellite DNAs and, together with colleagues at the Ruer Bokovi Institute, provided the first experimental evidence for the existence of a set or a library of satellite DNAs shared among related species. This explained a mode of satellite DNA evolution which is based on random amplification from the common library.
She is member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) since 2000 and associate member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Inhalt

1. Drosophila satellite repeats at the intersection of chromatin, gene regulation and evolution

Maggie Lauria Sneideman and Victoria H. Meller
maggie.sneideman@wayne.edu
av3459@wayne.edu, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA

2. Structure, organization and evolution of satellite DNAs: insights from the Drosophila repleta and D. virilis species groups

Gustavo C.S. Kuhn, Pedro Heringer, Guilherme Borges Dias

pedroheringer@hotmail.com
guto.cs.kuhn@gmail.com, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil

3. Exploring satellite DNAs: specificities of bivalve mollusks genomes

Eva atovi and Miroslav Plohl Miroslav.Plohl@irb.hr, Ruer Bokovi Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

4. Satellite DNA is an inseparable fellow traveller of B chromosomes

Juan Pedro M. Camacho, Francisco J Ruiz-Ruano, María Dolores López-León, Josefa Cabrero
jpmcamac@ugr.es, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

5. The genomics of plant satellite DNA

Manuel A. Garrido-Ramos mgarrido@ugr.es, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

6. Satellite DNA-mediated gene expression regulation: physiological and evolutionary implication

Isidoro Feliciello, ifelicie@unina.it, University Federico II, Naples, Italy

eljka Pezer, Antonio Sermek, Branka Bruvo Maari, Sven Ljubi and urica Ugarkovi, ugarkov@irb.hr, Ruer Bokovi Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

7. Centromeres transcription and transcripts for better and for worse Pia Mihìc, Sabrine Hédouin, Claire Francastel, claire.francastel@gmail.com, Université de Paris, CNRS, Paris, France

8. Global repeat map (GRM) - advantageous method for discovery of largest HORs (Higher order repeats) in Neuroblastoma breakpoint family (NBPF) genes, in hornerin exon and in chromosome 21 centromere

Vladimir Paar, Ines Vlahovi, Marija Rosandi, Matko Gluni

vpaar@hazu.hr, Croatian Academy of Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia