Novel family of STR47 tandem repeats in the Microtus rossiaemeridionalis genome

Tandemly arranged 47-bp repeat sequences (designated STR47) of the Microtus rossiaemeridionalis (East European vole) genome were cloned and sequenced. Their tandem arrangement and specificity for the common vole group were ve rified by Southern hybridization. Fluorescence ill situ hybridization showe d that the repeat is localized in the centromeric heterochromatin. A comput er analysis revealed similarity of STR47 and the R regions of retroviral lo ng terminal repeats. A sequence homologous to the consensus of the Jeffreys minisatellite hypervariable region was found within STR47.