'''Direct repeats''' are a type of genetic sequence that consists of two or more repeats of a specific sequence.<ref name="Ussery2008">{{cite book |title=Computing for Comparative Microbial Genomics: Bioinformatics for Microbiologists |chapter=Word Frequencies and Repeats §Word Frequencies, Repeats, and Repeat-related Structures in Bacterial Genomes |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-84800-255-5_8 |doi=10.1007/978-1-84800-255-5_8 |series=Computational Biology |volume=8 |pages=133–144 <!-- Different pagination --> |first1=David W. |last1=Ussery |first2=Trudy |last2=Wassenaar |first3=Stefano |last3=Borini |publisher=Springer |edition=1 |date=2009 |isbn=978-1-84800-254-8}}</ref> In other words, the direct repeats are nucleotide sequences present in multiple copies in the genome. Generally, a direct repeat occurs when a sequence is repeated with the same pattern downstream.<ref name=Ussery2008 /> There is {{Clarify | text = no inversion | date = November 2021 | reason = What is an inversion on a single-strand sequence? This may need to be dropped.}} and no reverse complement associated with a direct repeat. It may or may not have intervening nucleotides. The nucleotide sequence written in bold characters signifies the repeated sequence. :::{{color|blue |5´ '''TTACG'''nnnnnnTTACG 3´}} :::{{color|green|3´ '''AATGC'''nnnnnnAATGC 5´}} Linguistically, a typical direct repeat is comparable to saying "bye-bye".<ref name=Ussery2008 />
==Types== There are several types of repeated sequences: *Interspersed (or dispersed) DNA repeats (interspersed repetitive sequences) are copies of transposable elements interspersed throughout the genome. *Flanking (or terminal) repeats (terminal repeat sequences) are sequences that are repeated on both ends of a sequence, for example, the long terminal repeats (LTRs) on retroviruses. Direct terminal repeats are in the same direction and inverted terminal repeats are opposite to each other in direction. *Tandem repeats (tandem repeat sequences) are repeated copies which lie adjacent to each other. These can also be direct or inverted repeats.{{Citation needed | date = November 2021 | reason = This is in conflict with the Tandem repeat article itself which seems to be defined as only a direct repeat with no intervening nucleotide.}} The ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA genes belong to the class of middle repetitive DNA.
===Microsatellite DNA=== A tract of repetitive DNA in which a motif of a few base pairs is tandemly repeated numerous times (e.g. 5 to 50 times) is referred to as microsatellite DNA. Thus direct repeat tandem sequences are a form of microsattelite DNA. The process of DNA mismatch repair plays a prominent role in the formation of direct trinucleotide repeat expansions.<ref name = Richard2021>{{cite journal|pmid=33925919 |date=2021 |last1=Richard |first1=G. F. |title=The Startling Role of Mismatch Repair in Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions |journal=Cells |volume=10 |issue=5 |page=1019 |doi=10.3390/cells10051019 |pmc=8145212 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Such repeat expansions underlie several neurological and developmental disorders in humans.<ref name = Richard2021/>
==Homologous recombination== In directly repeated sequences of the tobacco plant genome, DNA double-strand breaks can be efficiently repaired by homologous recombination between the repeated sequences.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Siebert R, Puchta H |title=Efficient repair of genomic double-strand breaks by homologous recombination between directly repeated sequences in the plant genome |journal=Plant Cell |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=1121–31 |date=May 2002 |pmid=12034901 |pmc=150611 |doi=10.1105/tpc.001727 }}</ref>
==See also== *Inverted repeat
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Repeated sequence}}
Category:Repetitive DNA sequences Category:Genetics
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