Interspecies relationship of a repetitive chromosome-specific DNA.

A repetitive DNA motif, consisting of 48 bp units (D22Z3) was shown to reside in the pericentric region of the human chromosome 22. In genomic blots it was displaying cross-homology only to great ape species, the restriction patterns being similar but specific for each species investigated. Non-radioactive in situ hybridization revealed a minor homology to human chromosomes 14/15 when less stringent conditions were applied. In gorilla, only chromosomes corresponding to human G-group autosomes showed a distinct cross-hybridization, whereas in chimpanzee, homology to this sequence was observed for all acrocentric chromosomes, even with reduced signal accumulation for the human 22 equivalent at higher stringencies.