Interstitial telomeric sequences (ITSs) are not located at the exact ...
In this paper, we show that ITSs are not located at the exact evolutionary breakpoints of the inversions between human and chimpanzee and between human and rhesus macaque chromosomes. We proved that ITSs are not signs of repair in the breakpoints of the chromosome reorganizations analyzed. Although their function has not yet been clearly elucidated, interstitial telomeric sequences (ITSs) have been cytogenetically associated with chromosomal reorganizations, fragile sites, and recombination hotspots. The ITSs are conserved in the species compared, showing that they were present before the reorganizations occurred. The presence of ITSs in those locations is not by chance. 7 Mb) flanking one of the two breakpoints in all the inversions assessed.