NONTELOMERIC CHROMOSOME LOCALIZATION OF (TTAGGG)(N) REPEATS IN THE GENUS EULEMUR

The chromosomal distribution of the (TTAGGG)(n) telomeric repetitive s equences was studied in the Malagasy species Eulemur fulvus fulvus (2n = 60), Eulemur rubriventer (2n = 50), Eulemur coronatus (2n = 46) and Eulemur macaco (2n = 44). These sequences hybridize to the telomeres of all chromosomes of the four species and also to the pericentromeres of all chromosomes of E. fulvus, E. coronatus and E. macaco, with the exception of the pericentromeres of E. coronatus and E. macaco chromo somes 9, the homeologous E. fulvus chromosomes 2 and E. macaco chromos omes 1. In E. rubriventer only a very weak signal was detected at the pericentromeres of a few chromosomes. In E. fulvus, E. coronatus and E . macaco, non-telomeric (TTAGGG)(n) sequences collocalize with constit utive heterochromatin. The interspecific differences of the hybridizat ion pattern of (TTAGGG)(n) sequences at the pericentromeres suggest th at E. rubriventer branched off the common trunk before amplification o f endogenous (TTAGGG)(n) sequences occurred in pericentromeric regions .