Natural genetic engineering: A programmed chromosome/DNA elimination
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Updated: Sep 29, 2025

Generation of Genomic Deletions in Mammalian Cell Lines via CRISPR/Cas9
Published on: January 3, 2015
Malgorzata Kloc1, Jacek Z Kubiak2, Rafik M Ghobrial3
1The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA; The Houston Methodist Hospital, Department of Surgery, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Genetics Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract:
Typically, all cells of a given organism have the same set of chromosomes. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and in many organisms, the somatic cells and germ cells, various types of somatic cells or organs, or females and males, have different genomes. One of the sources of such differences is chromosome/DNA elimination/chromatin diminution that is a naturally programmed phenomenon. We describe chromosome/DNA elimination in various organisms and present the current hypotheses on its origin, mechanisms, significance, and consequences.
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