Why repetitive DNA is essential to genome function

@article{Shapiro2005WhyRD,
  title={Why repetitive DNA is essential to genome function},
  author={James A. Shapiro and Richard von Sternberg},
  journal={Biological Reviews},
  year={2005},
  volume={80}
}
There are clear theoretical reasons and many well‐documented examples which show that repetitive DNA is essential for genome function. Generic repeated signals in the DNA are necessary to format expression of unique coding sequence files and to organise additional functions essential for genome replication and accurate transmission to progeny cells. Repetitive DNA sequence elements are also fundamental to the cooperative molecular interactions forming nucleoprotein complexes. Here, we review… 
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280 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
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Background Citations
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Methods Citations
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280 Citations

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Chromatin Organization by Repetitive Elements (CORE): A Genomic Principle for the Higher-Order Structure of Chromosomes

The central idea of this theory is that chromatin regions with repetitive sequences pair with regions harboring homologous repeats and that somatic repeat pairing assembles repetitive DNA chromatin into compact chromosomal domains that specify chromatin folding in a site-directed manner.

Repetitive Sequences in Plant Nuclear DNA: Types, Distribution, Evolution and Function

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This review will discuss aspects of genome organization and genome change that require a more formal computational analysis and see how modern results indicate that genome evolution has many similarities to computer system engineering.

Investigation of distal repetitive sequences in the genus allium

One of those sequences, 35S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) encoding 35S rRNA, proved to have a structure that is previously not described for plants, including a Ty1/copia retrotransposon fragment in the intergenic spacer region.

Dynamic Oryza Genomes: Repetitive DNA Sequences as Genome Modeling Agents

A comparative analysis of repetitive DNA sequences in the genus Oryza, representing ~15 million years of evolution, found both Class I and Class II transposable elements, through their expansion, loss and movement in the genome, were found to influence genome size variation in this genus.

Locus specific engineering of tandem DNA repeats in the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using CRISPR/Cas9 and overlapping oligonucleotides

The ability to synthetize, in a simple manner, tandem DNA repeats of various size by Cas9-assisted oligonucleotide in vivo assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is demonstrated.

Losing DNA methylation at repetitive elements and breaking bad

Hypomethylation of different families of repetitive sequences is recurrent in many different human diseases, suggesting that the methylation status of these elements can be involved in preservation of human health.

DNA.EXE: A Sequence Comparison between the Human Genome and Computer Code

Evidence that executable computer programs and human genomes contain similar patterns of repetitive code is presented and it is proposed that these similarities can be explained by universal constraints in efficient information encoding and execution.

Transcription of highly repetitive tandemly organized DNA in amphibians and birds: A historical overview and modern concepts

Review systematically covers historical and modern data on transcription of amphibian and avian satellite DNA in somatic cells and during meiosis when chromosomes acquire special lampbrush form and offers LTR-activation hypotheses of widespread satellite DNA transcription initiation during oogenesis.
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