DNA class organization on maize Adh1 yeast artificial chromosomes.

The organization of higher plant genomes is poorly understood. These genomes are typified by their large size and extensive repetitive DNA component. To further our understanding of the composition and arrangement of genomic DNA sequences, we have performed a detailed analysis of a contiguous interval of 280 kb surrounding the Adh1 locus of maize. A series of overlapping lambda subclones was isolated, and individual fragments were characterized with respect to their genomic copy number. Cross-hybridization analyses were used to define a minimum of 37 repetitive DNA classes within the 280-kb interval. Hybridizations with highly repetitive DNAs cloned from other regions of the maize genome suggested that > 50% of all highly repetitive elements in maize are represented on this single yeast artificial chromosome. These repeated sequences were found in an organizational pattern not previously observed; individual repetitive elements are interspersed with one another in an apparently random fashion and are spatially separate from single copy number sequences. Extensive tandem arrays were not found. Sequences from one end of the 280-kb interval were used to isolate overlapping yeast artificial chromosome clones, representing the first step in a chromosome walk.