PRIMARY STRUCTURE OF GOLDEN-HAMSTER SYNAPTONEMAL COMPLEX DNA

DNA from the hamster synaptonemal complex (SC) was cloned and partly s equenced. Hamster SC DNA sequences were compared with those from some structurally and functionally related families of eukaryotic genomic D NA. Hamster SC DNA is similar to rat SC DNA. Both sequences have homol ogy to the LINE repeat family and are enriched in(GT/CA)(n) repeats. I n its ability to form secondary hairpin structures, rodent SC DNA is s imilar to nuclear matrix-associated DNA (MAR DNA) and differs substant ially from human microsatellite DNA (MCS DNA). Hamster SC DNA is enric hed in short complementary palindromes. In this respect, hamster SC DN A presumably involved in meiotic recombination is similar to the immun oglobulin gene DNA involved in somatic recombination increasing the an tibody diversity. The established structural features of hamster and r at SC DNA allow us to separate them into a special family of rodent ge nomic DNA.