Characterization and chromosome location of satellite DNA in the leaf beetle Chrysolina americana (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

This paper is the first record of the satellite DNA of the specialized phyt ophagous genus Chrysolina. The satellite DNA of Chrysolina americana is org anized in a tandem repeat of monomers 189 bp long, has a A + T content of 5 9.6 % and presents direct and inverted internal repeats. Restriction analys is of the total DNA with methylation sensitive enzymes suggests that this r epetitive DNA is undermethylated. In situ hybridization with a biotinylated probe of the satellite DNA showed the pericentromeric localization of thes e sequences in all meiotic bivalents. The presence of this repetitive DNA i n other species of the genus was also tested by Southern analysis. The resu lts showed that this satellite DNA sequence is specific to the C. americana genome and has not been found in three other species of Chrysolina with a different choice of host plants than in the former.