HYPERVARIABLE DIGITAL DNA CODES FOR HUMAN PATERNAL LINEAGES - MVR-PCRAT THE Y-SPECIFIC MINISATELLITE, MSY1 (DYF155S1)

We describe the first haploid minisatellite, the human Y chromosome-sp ecific locus, MSY1, It consists of an array of 48-114 AT-rich 25 bp re peats of at least five different variant types, A minisatellite varian t repeat PCR (MVR-PCR) system gives Y-specific DNA codes, with a virtu al heterozygosity of 99.9%, making MSY1 by far the single most variabl e locus on the Y. African populations contain the most diverged MSY1 s tructures, MSY1 is the only Y-chromosomal system where the characteris tics of large numbers of mutations can be studied in detail: it provid es a uniquely powerful tool both for the investigation of mutation in a haploid system, and for the dating of paternal lineages.