A region flanking H-2K is duplicated to a distant site in most mouse t haplotypes

Mouse t haplotypes contain at least one inversion, which encompasses the major histocompatibility complex, relative to their wild-type counterparts. A DNA probe for a single copy sequence which flanks the H-2K region in inbred strains was found to have undergone further rearrangements in the t haplotypes. In most t haplotypes, this sequence is duplicated at a distant site, and the two regions show 1% recombination. The length of homology shared by the two sites is likely to be at least 10-15 kb. Three different alleles, as defined by restriction fragment length polymorphisms, were found for each of the two sites among different t haplotypes. These may reveal evolutionary relationships among these chromosomes.