Differential sensitivity of some human alphoid and classical satellite DNA regions from lymphocyte chromosomes to in situ exonuclease III digestion.

Fluorescent in situ hybridization of alphoid and classical satellite III DNA sequences was performed on fixed chromosomes from human lymphocytes that were previously digested in situ with exonuclease III to produce single-stranded DNA motifs. Digital image analysis showed that while labeled alphoid satellite DNAs produced signals of similar strength to thermally denatured chromosomes, those of classical satellite III DNAs of chromosomes 9 and Yq were around 50% weaker. This result shows a differential sensitivity of these satellite DNA regions to in situ exonuclease III digestion and suggests structural differences in the higher-order organization of both subchromosomal constitutive heterochromatic regions.