Plantago lagopus B Chromosome Is Enriched in 5S rDNA-Derived Satellite DNA

Abstract

B chromosomes are supernumerary dispensable parts of the karyotype which appear in some individuals of some populations in some species. Using advanced sequencing technology, we in silico characterized the high-copy DNA composition of Plantago lagopus with and without B chromosomes. The nuclear genome (2.46 pg/2C) was found to be relatively rich in repetitive sequences, with highly and moderately repeated elements making up 68% of the genome. Besides a centromere-specific marker, we identified a B-specific satellite and a repeat enriched in polymorphic A chromosome segments. The B-specific tandem repeat PLsatB originated from sequence amplification including 5S rDNA fragments.