The organisation of repetitive sequences in the pericentromeric region of human chromosome 10

Three satellite DNA families are present in the pericentromeric region of chromosome 10; the alpha satellite and two 5 bp satellite families defined here as satellites 2 and 3. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) demonstrates that these sequences are organised into five discrete arrays which are linked within a region of approximately 5.3 Megabases (Mb) of DNA. The alpha satellite is largely confined to a 2.2 Mb array which is flanked on its p arm side by two 100-150 kb satellite 3 arrays and on its q arm side by a 900 kb satellite 2 array and a further 320 kb satellite 3 array. This linear order is corroborated by fluorescent in situ hybridisation analyses. In total, these arrays account for 3.6 Mb of DNA in the pericentromeric region of chromosome 10. These data provide both physical information on sequences which may be involved in centromere function and a map across the centromere which has the potential to link yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contigs currently being developed on both arms of this chromosome.