GENOME DISTRIBUTION, CHROMOSOMAL ALLOCATION, AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MAJOR AND MINOR SATELLITE DNAS IN 11 SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF THE GENUS MUS

We compared the genome distribution, chromosomal allocation, and organ ization of the major and minor satellite DNAs (satDNAs) in 11 species and subspecies of the genus Mus. Southern blot analysis of the major a nd minor satDNAs showed similar fragment profiles in all 11 species, w ith the exception of M. cervicolor and M. cookii for the major satDNAs and M. caroli, M. cervicolor, and M. cookii for the minor satDNAs, wh ere these sequences could not be detected by the probes used. In situ hybridization of the major and minor satDNA probes revealed chromosome -specific allocations of these sequences with quantitative species-spe cific patterns. Fluorometric analysis of the organization of the satel lite sequences suggested that in the M. domesticus genome satDNA seque nces are clustered in tandem repeats that are longer than those presen t in other Mus genomes. When compared with the other Mus genomes so fa r studied, the domesticus genome shows the highest quantity of satDNA sequences with a long-range organization of satDNA sequences.