The genomics of long tandem arrays of satellite DNA in the human genome

At least 10% of DNA in the human genome consists of long arrays of repeated sequences, arranged in tandem head-to-tail arrays in a number of discrete, highly localized chromosomal regions. Different families of these so-called "satellite DNA" sequences have been defined, organized in diverged subsets on different chromosomes. The molecular, cytogenetic, and evolutionary analysis of the hierarchical organization of such sequences in the human and other complex genomes encompasses a variety of approaches, including chromosomal mapping, in situ hybridization, genetic linkage analysis, long-range restriction mapping, and DNA sequencing. Investigation of the organization of satellite arrays constitutes a necessary first step towards eventual elucidation of the origin, evolution, and maintenance of these sequences and their contribution to the structure and behavior of human chromosomes.