Identification of a new gene encoding pericentromeric dodeca-satellite binding protein in Drosophila melanogaster

Dodeca-satellite (CCCGTACTCGGT)n is a type of tandemly repeated DNA sequence located in the pericentromeric region of the third chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster and that cross-hybridizes with DNA from other species such as Arabidopsis, mouse and human. This evolutionary conservation suggests that dodeca-satellite might play an important role in the centromeric function. Therefore, the aim of our research was the isolament of genes encoding proteins that might help stabilize these DNA structures, in vivo. To identify D. melanogaster sequence DNAs encoding dodeca-satellite binding proteins, we used the in vivo yeast assay, known as ‘one-hybrid system’. Here, we identified a novel gene sequence that encoded pericentromeric dodeca-satellite binding protein and described its sequence characteristics.