[Phylogenetic relationships of mastomys to mouse and rat deduced from satellite DNA sequences]

Mastomys is a rodent with a intermediate size between mouse and rat, and classify as a subgenus of Praomys coucha. Our study determined the phylogenetic evolutional relationships of mastomys to mouse and rat deduced from satellite DNA sequences. Genomic DNA was extracted from each liver and digested by restriction enzymes (EcoRI and BglII). After separation and purification, we obtained these EcoRI/BglII-0.5 Kbp repeated elements and determined the nucleotide sequences. The similarities and speed of evolution were 86.06% and 0.1578 between mastomys and mouse, 85.56% and 0.1671 between mastomys and rat, and 83.91% and 0.1863 between rat and mouse, indicating that mastomys was evolutionary classified between mouse and rat, and closely related with mouse.