Similar origins of two mouse minisatellites within transposon-like LTRs

Tandem arrays of simple sequence repeat units are among the most unstable regions of mammalian genomes. Mutational instability at such loci depends on both repeat unit sequence and DNA sequences external to the tandem array, which have been recently implicated in polarized variability at human minisatellites. The characteristics of DNA sequences flanking the mouse minisatellite Ms6-hm have been investigated. This locus has a high mutation rate both in the germline and during early somatic development and is composed of a hypervariable tandem array of 500-2000 pentanucleotide repeat units flanked by a transposon-like long terminal repeat sequence of the mouse transcript (MT) family. A subpopulation of MT elements in the mouse genome are shown to flank a 1.1-kb internal sequence, consistent with their classification within a newly defined mammalian retrotransposon-like superfamily (MaLR). A second mouse minisatellite, Hm-2, also originates from within a MaLR LTR. Hm-2 is related to Ms6-hm in repeat unit sequence and profiles of germline and somatic instability; at both loci the tandem array has amplified from precisely the same point within the LTR. The similar origins of Ms6-hm and Hm-2 suggest that flanking MaLR sequences may be involved in mutational processes at these loci.