Repeat expansion by homologous recombination in the mouse germ line at palindromic sequences Journal Article


Authors: Zhou, Z. H.; Akgün, E.; Jasin, M.
Article Title: Repeat expansion by homologous recombination in the mouse germ line at palindromic sequences
Abstract: Genetic instability can be induced by unusual DNA structures and sequence repeats. We have previously demonstrated that a large palindrome in the mouse germ line derived from transgene integration is extremely unstable and undergoes stabilizing rearrangements at high frequency, often through deletions that produce asymmetry. We have now characterized other palindrome rearrangements that arise from complex homologous recombination events. The structure of the recombinants is consistent with homologous recombination occurring by a noncrossover gene conversion mechanism in which a break induced in the palindrome promotes homologous strand invasion and repair synthesis, similar to mitotic break repair events reported in mammalian cells. Some of the homologous recombination events led to expansion in the size of the palindromic locus, which in the extreme case more than doubled the number of repeats. These results may have implications for instability observed at naturally occurring palindromic or quasipalindromic sequences.
Keywords: nonhuman; animal cell; mouse; mammalia; animals; mice; dna repair; mice, inbred c57bl; animalia; mice, transgenic; dna strand breakage; gene conversion; germ line; dna; gene rearrangement; genetic recombination; recombination, genetic; transgene; dna sequence; rodentia; mice, inbred cba; sequence homology; transgenes; spermatozoa; palindromic dna; male; priority journal; article; hairpin; palindrome; sequence repeats; sister chromatid recombination
Journal Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume: 98
Issue: 15
ISSN: 0027-8424
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences  
Date Published: 2001-07-17
Start Page: 8326
End Page: 8333
Language: English
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.151008498
PUBMED: 11459971
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC37439
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 21 May 2015 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Ercan Akgun
    4 Akgun
  2. Maria Jasin
    249 Jasin
  3. Zhi-Hong   Zhou
    2 Zhou