- Institution/s: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Universidad de Alicante, Universidad de Valladolid, Université d'Artois
- Project: Diccionario Terminológico de Genética (Eurogene)
- Identification number: 156
- Subdomains: Studies of chromatin, Studies of DNA, Studies of RNA, Techniques
- Author/s: Beatriz BURGOS CUADRILLERO, Judit RICO BORDERA, Marie-Hélène GARCIA, Teresa AMIDO LOZANO
- Creation / modification date: 27-02-2014
- Term: minisatellites
- Gramatical category: s
- Definition: Minisatellites are usually defined as the repetition in tandem of a short (6- to 100-bp) motif spanning 0.5 kb to several kilobases. Although the first examples described 20 years ago were of human origin, similar DNA structures have been found in many organisms including bacteria. Comparisons of the repeat units in classical minisatellites led early on to the notion of consensus or core sequences, which exhibit some similarities with the χ sequence of λ phage (GCTGTGG). In general, the majority of classical minisatellites are GC rich, with a strong strand asymmetry.
- Context: In the class of repeated sequences that occur in DNA, minisatellites have been found polymorphic and became useful tools in genetic mapping and forensic studies. They consist of a heterogeneous tandem array of a short repeat unit. The slightly different units along the array are called variants. Minisatellites evolve mainly through tandem duplications and tandem deletions of variants.
- Expression: Spectrum of minisatellite mutants in sperm.
- Weighting mark: nor
- Sources:
- Term: BUSELMAIER, Werner (2012). Biologie für Mediziner. 12. neubearbeitete und erweiterte Aufl. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, 341.
- Definition: BUSELMAIER, Werner (2012). Biologie für Mediziner. 12. neubearbeitete und erweiterte Aufl. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, 341.
- Context: SCHAAF, Christian, ZSCHOCKE, Johannes (2013). Basiswissen Humangenetik. 2. Aufl. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, 14.
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