Segmental duplications within the Glycine max genome revealed by fluorescence in situ hybridization of bacterial artificial chromosomes

Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) is presumed to be an ancient polyploid based on chromosome number and multiple RFLP fragments in genetic mapping. Direct cytogenetic observation of duplicated regions within the soybean genome has not heretofore been reported. Employing fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of genetically anchored bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) in soybean, we were able to observe that the distal ends of molecular linkage group E had duplicated regions on linkage groups A2 and B2. Further, using fiber-FISH, it was possible to measure the molecular size and organization of one of the duplicated regions. As FISH did not require repetitive DNA for blocking fluorescence signals, we assume that the 200-kb genome region is relatively low in repetitive sequences. This observation, along with the observation that the BACs are located in distal euchromatin regions, has implications for genome structure/evolution and the approach used to sequence the soybean genome.