REPETITIVE DNA IN AND AROUND TRANSLOCATION BREAKPOINTS OF THE PHILADELPHIA-CHROMOSOME

This paper describes systematic sequence studies of repetitive DNA in and around translocation breakpoints on chromosomes 9 and 22, which ar e involved in the formation of the Philadelphia chromosome in acute le ukemias. In addition to Alu repeats described in previous studies, the breakpoint regions appear to contain many other repetitive elements, including a member of a new repetitive family (MER34) reported in this paper. Identification of these repeats broadens current studies on th e possible involvement of repetitive DNA in this intensely studied chr omosomal translocation.