Application of synthetic DNA probes of human alpha satellite consensus monomer for detection of centromere-involved chromosome abnormalities.

We have synthesized the alphoid monomer of 171 bp based on the consensus sequence of human alpha satellite DNA and constructed a clone of dimeric or tetrameric sequence unit. Southern blot analysis using the clone as a probe showed restriction site periodicities in human DNA digested by EcoRI or BamHI. The synthetic consensus unit could detect the alpha repeated centromeric regions of all human chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Using the cells having a dicentric X chromosome, we showed that the two centromeric regions were stained with fluorescent alpha satellite DNA probes. Thus the probe would be useful to detect chromosomal abnormalities such as dicentrics.