LENGTH POLYMORPHISM OF A MICROSATELLITE IN HUMAN AND NON HUMAN PRIMATES

Microsatellites are tandem repeats of short sequences elements (most o ften CA repeats) interspersed in many genomes and which frequently sho w multiallele polymorphism. They have proved invaluable for genomic ma pping in man and other species and may be used for evolutionary studie s provided that the available primers can be used in different species . The dystrophin gene, which show high sequence conservation between m an, rodents and chicken contains such polymorphic CA repeats. Using th e oligonucleotides primers developed for testing the polymorphic CA re peat of the 3' untranslated region of the dystrophin gene in man, we a chieved the amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the an alogous region in five non human primates species (Pan troglodytes, Go rilla, gorilla, Macaca tonkeana, Macaca fascicularis, Lemur fulvus). A ll were proved to posses the CA repeat while intraspecies variations o f the microsatellite length was observed in chimpanzees, gorilla and t onkean macaques. As it was demonstrated by sequencing, these length va riations depend on the number of CA repeats in the microsatellite.