UNASSIGNED: Repetitive DNA sequences make up a significant portion of all genomes and may occur in intergenic, regulatory, coding, or even intronic regions. Partial sequences of a @entity563 protease gene csp1 was previously used as a population genetic marker of the Chinese caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, but its first intron region was excluded due to ambiguous alignment. Here in this study, we report the presence of a minisatellite OsMin1 within this intron, where a 20(19)-bp repeat motif is duplicated two to six times in different isolates. Fourteen intron alleles and 13 OsMin1 alleles were identified among 125 @entity28826 samples distributed broadly on the Tibetan Plateau. Two OsMin1 alleles were prevalent, corresponding to either two or five repeats of the core sequence motif. OsMin1 appears to be a single locus marker in the @entity28826 genome, but its origin is undetermined. Abundant recombination signals were detected between upstream and downstream flanking regions of OsMin1, suggesting that OsMin1 mutate by unequal crossing over. Geographic distribution, fungal phylogeny, and host insect phylogeny all significantly affected intron distribution patterns but with the greatest influence noted for fungal genotypes and the least for geography. As far as we know, OsMin1 is the first minisatellite found in @entity28826 and the second found in fungal introns. OsMin1 may be useful in designing an efficient protocol to discriminate authentic @entity28826 from counterfeits.

The intronic minisatellite OsMin1 within a XXXX protease gene in the Chinese caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis.

@entity28826 :: ('260630', 'Species') :: ['O. sinensis'] @entity563 :: ('CHEBI:17822', 'Chemical') :: ['serine']
@entity563 :: (CHEBI:17822,Chemical) :: ['serine']
