Valente Guilherme T, Nakajima Rafael T, Fantinatti Bruno E A, Marques Diego F, Almeida Rodrigo O, Simões Rafael P, Martins Cesar
Department of Bioprocess and Biotechnology, Agronomic Science School, UNESP - Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, 18610-307, Brazil.
Department of Morphology, Institute of Biosciences, UNESP - Sao Paulo State University, Sao Paulo, Botucatu, 18618-689, Brazil.
Chromosoma. 2017 Feb;126(1):73-81. doi: 10.1007/s00412-016-0613-6. Epub 2016 Aug 24.
Though hundreds to thousands of reports have described the distribution of B chromosomes among diverse eukaryote groups, a comprehensive theory of their biological role has not yet clearly emerged. B chromosomes are classically understood as a sea of repetitive DNA sequences that are poor in genes and are maintained by a parasitic-drive mechanism during cell division. Recent developments in high-throughput DNA/RNA analyses have increased the resolution of B chromosome biology beyond those of classical and molecular cytogenetic methods; B chromosomes contain many transcriptionally active sequences, including genes, and can modulate the activity of autosomal genes. Furthermore, the most recent knowledge obtained from omics analyses, which is associated with a systemic view, has demonstrated that B chromosomes can influence cell biology in a complex way, possibly favoring their own maintenance and perpetuation.
尽管已有成百上千篇报告描述了B染色体在不同真核生物群体中的分布情况，但关于其生物学作用的全面理论尚未清晰浮现。传统上，B染色体被理解为由大量重复DNA序列组成，基因含量稀少，并在细胞分裂过程中通过寄生驱动机制得以维持。高通量DNA/RNA分析技术的最新进展，使B染色体生物学的研究分辨率超越了经典和分子细胞遗传学方法；B染色体包含许多转录活性序列，包括基因，并且能够调节常染色体基因的活性。此外，从组学分析中获得的最新知识，结合系统观点表明，B染色体能够以复杂的方式影响细胞生物学，这可能有利于它们自身的维持和延续。
