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D-Loop

Definition

The non-coding displacement-loop control region of the mitochondrial genome (~bp 16024-576 in the rCRS). Contains the origin of replication and the promoters, and within it sit the hypervariable regions HV1 and HV2 targeted by forensic sequencing.

Related terms

Heteroplasmy
The co-existence of two or more mitochondrial DNA sequence variants within a single individual, arising from somatic mutation or incomplete segregation. Length...
Petrous Bone
The petrous portion of the temporal bone, the densest bone in the human skull. Its dense hydroxyapatite matrix protects enclosed DNA from...
Protamine
Small arginine-rich proteins that replace histones in the nuclei of spermatozoa during spermatogenesis, producing a hyper-compacted chromatin structure approximately six times denser...
rCRS
The revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (GenBank accession NC_012920), the standard reference for human mitochondrial DNA. All mtDNA variant positions in forensic and...

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