Regulated cleavage of the developing macronuclear genome at a limited number of chromosome breakage sites (CBS). The macronuclear destined segment (MDS) sequence adjacent to the CBS (or separated from it by a BES) receives a macronuclear telomere following chromosome breakage.
Source:PMID:32165395,
PMID:15956677,
GOC:ns,
PMID:25303953
Comment
Note that this term refers to breakage of chromosomes during normal DNA well characterized in ciliates but also present in many vertebrates; it is not to be used for DNA damage or other abnormal occurrences.