PATTERNS OF MEIOTIC DOUBLE-STRAND BREAKAGE ON NATIVE AND ARTIFICIAL YEAST CHROMOSOMES

The preferred positions for meiotic double-strand breakage were mapped on Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes I and VI, and on a number of yeast artificial chromosomes carrying human DNA inserts. Each chromoso me had strong and weak double-strand break (DSB) sites. On average one DSB-prone region was detected by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis per 25 kb of DNA, but each chromosome had a unique distribution of DSB si tes. There were no preferred meiotic DSB sites near the telomeres. DSB -prone regions were associated with all of the known ''hot spots'' for meiotic recombination on chromosomes I, III and VI.