Characterization of a Tandemly Arrayed Repetitive DNA Sequence from Kangaroo Mice (Genus Microdipodops )

Abstract

The Kangaroo mouse (Genus Microdipodops ) is one of the North American rodents which remains poorly studied at the ecological and evolutionary level. Two species-- Microdipodops megacephalus and Microdipodops pallidus-- are restricted in distribution to the Mono Lake region of Nevada and California. We are interested in examining the genomic and phylogenetic relationships between the two species by analysis of the repetitive DNA sequences. Satellite DNA sequences are a specific class of repetitive DNA that are tandemly arrayed. These sequences can be conserved broadly across species but differ at the sequence level for each species. For this reason, they can be used in identifying phylogenetic relationships between species. We have identified a satellite DNA conserved in two species of Kangaroo mice.Furthermore, at least three size variants of the satellite DNA monomer unit were detected in both species of 400 bp, 450 bp and 525 bp.