THE CHROMOSOMAL DISTRIBUTION OF CPG ISLANDS IN THE MOUSE - EVIDENCE FOR GENOME SCRAMBLING IN THE RODENT LINEAGE

We have prepared a library of mouse whole CPG islands using a methyl-C pG binding domain column. The distribution of CpG islands in the mouse genome was determined by FISH, using the library as a probe. Unlike i n other vertebrate genomes that have been examined (human and chicken) , extreme clustering of CpG islands was not seen in the mouse genome. No individual murine chromosome stood out as being either very gene-ri ch or very gene-poor. Despite the more even distribution of CpG island s in the mouse at a gross chromosomal level, at finer resolution conce ntrations of CpG; islands are seen to correspond to the R-band early r eplicating regions of the genome. (C) 1997 Academic Press.