[Satellite DNA restriction site variability as a molecular basis of taxonoprint method: evidence from the study of Caucasian rock lizards].

The restriction site distribution in satellite DNA of 17 Caucasian rock lizard species of the genus Lacerta (Darevskia gen. nov.), (Squamata, Lacertidae) was analyzed. The distribution patterns were shown to reflect the degree of satellite DNA evolutionary divergence, which could be revealed by taxonprint method, i.e., through the analysis of genomic DNA with a set of restriction endonucleases and subsequent computer-aided treatment. Thus, the taxonprint method offers an opportunity to examine the satellite DNA divergence in closely related species and infer their phylogeny of the species studied without reserting to costly and labor-consuming procedures. This is the advantage of using this technique at the early stages of genomic DNA phylogenetic analysis for rapid and effective estimation of relationships between closely related species as well as in the cases when DNA cloning and sequencing are too expensive or not feasible.