1.688 g/cm3 satellite‐related repeats: a missing link to dosage compensation and speciation
2015
Gallach, Miguel
Despite the important progress that has been made on dosage compensation (DC), a critical link in our understanding of the X chromosome recognition mechanisms is still missing. Recent studies in Drosophila indicate that the missing link could be a family of DNA repeats populating the euchromatin of the X chromosome. In this opinion article, I discuss how these findings add a new fresh twist on the DC problem. In the following sections, I first summarize our understanding of DC in Drosophila and integrate these recent discoveries into our knowledge of the X chromosome recognition problem. Next, I introduce a model according to which, 1.688 g/cm³ satellite‐related (SR) repeats would be the primary recognition elements for the dosage compensation complex. Contrary to the current belief, I suggest that the DC system in Drosophila is not conserved and static, but it is continuously co‐evolving with the target SR repeats. The potential role of the SR repeats in hybrid incompatibilities and speciation is also discussed.
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