HUMAN ENDOGENOUS RETROVIRAL ELEMENT K10 (HERV-K10) - CHROMOSOMAL LOCALIZATION BY SOMATIC HYBRID MAPPING AND FLUORESCENCE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION

The human endogenous retrovirus K10 (HERV-K10) was mapped to human chr omosomes using HERV-K10 specific PCR primers on a somatic hybrid mappi ng panel. A non-random chromosomal location was demonstrated with PCR signals on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, 2 1, 22 and Y. There was a lack of PCR products on the other chromosomes , even after hybridization with a HERV-K10 specific probe. To further localize the HERV-K10 sequence we used fluorescence in situ hybridizat ion. Chromosomes 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 and 22 were found to contain s everal HERV-K10 sequences in different regions. The presence of severa l integration sites on some chromosomes is consistent with previous st udies demonstrating 30-50 copies of the HERV-K10 sequence per haploid genome. The mapping information reported in this study will assist the analysis of the biological significance of the HERV-K10 sequence.