FLUORESCENCE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION OF VERTEBRATE TELOMERE SEQUENCE TOCHROMOSOME ENDS OF THE PACIFIC OYSTER, CRASSOSTREA-GIGAS THUNBERG

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is useful in genomic researc h. We tested FISH in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, u sing metaphase chromosomes prepared from early embryos and all-human t elomere and centromere probes. FISH with the all-human telomere probe produced strong hybridization signals at ends of all oyster chromosome s, suggesting that: (1) chromosomes from embryo preparation are suitab le for FISH analysis; and (2) the vertebrate telomere sequence, (T(2)A G(3))(n), may be present in telomeres of the Pacific oyster. No inters titial sites were detected for the telomere sequence. FISH with the al l-human centromere probe failed to detect any complementary sequences in oyster chromosomes.