Two distinct modes of microsatellite mutation processes:: Evidence from the complete genomic sequences of nine species

We surveyed microsatellite distribution in 10 completely sequenced genomes. Using a permutation-based statistic, we assessed for all 10 genomes whether the microsatellite distribution significantly differed from expectations. Consistent with previous reports, we observed a highly significant excess of long microsatellites. Focusing on short microsatellites containing only a few repeat units, we demonstrate that this repeat class is significantly underrepresented in most genomes. This pattern was observed across different repeat types. Computer Simulations indicated that neither base substitutions nor a combination of length-dependent slippage and base substitutions could explain the observed pattern of microsatellite distribution. When we introduced one additional mutation process, a length-independent slippage (indel slippage) operating at repeats with few repetitions, our computer simulations captured the observed pattern of microsatellite distribution.