GENOME DISTRIBUTION, CHROMOSOMAL ALLOCATION, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MAJOR AND MINOR SATELLITE DNAS IN 11 SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF THE GENUS MUS

We compared the genome distribution, chromosomal allocation, and organization of the major and minor satellite DNAs (satDNAs) in 11 species and subspecies of the genus Mus. Southern blot analysis of the major and minor satDNAs showed similar fragment profiles in all 11 species, with the exception of M. cervicolor and M. cookii for the major satDNAs and M. caroli, M. cervicolor, and M. cookii for the minor satDNAs, where these sequences could not be detected by the probes used. In situ hybridization of the major and minor satDNA probes revealed chromosome-specific allocations of these sequences with quantitative species-specific patterns. Fluorometric analysis of the organization of the satellite sequences suggested that in the M. domesticus genome satDNA sequences are clustered in tandem repeats that are longer than those present in other Mus genomes. When compared with the other Mus genomes so far studied, the domesticus genome shows the highest quantity of satDNA sequences with a long-range organization of satDNA sequences.