The chromosomal distribution of CpG islands in the mouse: evidence for genome scrambling in the rodent lineage.

We have prepared a library of mouse whole CpG islands using a methyl-CpG binding domain column. The distribution of CpG islands in the mouse genome was determined by FISH, using the library as a probe. Unlike in other vertebrate genomes that have been examined (human and chicken), extreme clustering of CpG islands was not seen in the mouse genome. No individual murine chromosome stood out as being either very gene-rich or very gene-poor. Despite the more even distribution of CpG islands in the mouse at a gross chromosomal level, at finer resolution concentrations of CpG islands are seen to correspond to the R-band early replicating regions of the genome.