Introducing Minisatellites

Minisatellites are sections of DNA that are comprised of repeated sequences of 10 to 60 base pairs. These sequences, which usually repeat between 5 and 50 times, are primarily found in the telomeres and centromeres of a chromosome. Importantly, these small repetitive DNA sequences do not encode any proteins.

Both minisatellites and microsatellites are classified as VNTR (Variable Number Tandem Repeats), although the term VNTR is sometimes used specifically to refer to minisatellites.

Understanding Microsatellites

Microsatellites, also known as Short Tandem Repeats (STRs), are another type of repetitive DNA sequence. However, these sequences are smaller than minisatellites, usually consisting of 1 to 6 base pairs (or sometimes up to 10). Microsatellites are most commonly found in non-coding regions of DNA and are often used in DNA fingerprinting. If they occur in coding regions, microsatellites can cause diseases and phenotypical changes.

Distinguishing between Minisatellites and Microsatellites

For more information, see: Nucleotide Structure and Functions

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