Stability, structure and complexity of yeast chromosome III
Graham J. King
Nucleic Acids Research,
21(18), 4239-4245 (1993)
Abstract
The complete sequence of yeast chromosome III provides a model for
studies relating DNA sequence and structure at different levels of organisation in
eukaryotic chromosomes. DNA helical stability, intrinsic curvature and sequence
complexity have been calculated for the complete chromosome. These features are
compartmentalised at different levels of organisation. Compartmentalisation of
thermal stability is observed from the level delineating coding/non-coding
sequences, to higher levels of organisation which correspond to regions varying in G
+ C content. The three-dimensional path reveals a symmetrical structure for the
chromosome, with a densely packed central region and more diffuse and linear
subtelomeric regions. This interspersion of regions of high and low curvature is
reflected at lower levels of organisation. Complexity of n-tuplets (n = 1 to 6) also
reveals compartmentalisation of the chromosome at different levels of organisation,
in many cases corresponding to the structural features. DNA stability, conformation
and complexity delineate telomeres, centromere, autonomous replication sequences
(ARS), transposition hotspots, recombination hotspots and the mating-type loci.
