Characterization of MboI satellites in Cirrhina mrigala and Clarias batrachus (Pisces)

We have cloned and characterized two highly reiterated, tandemly repeated, and A+T rich MboI DNA fragments, one in Cirrhina mrigala (Cyprinidae), with a monomer size of 266 bp, and one in Clarias batrachus (Clariidae), with a monomer size of 227 bp. The MboI fragment in C. mrigala is species-specific and absent in other carps, such as Catla catla and Labeo rohita. The MboI fragment in C. batrachus was also present in two other catfishes tested, namely Clarias gariepinus and Heteropneustes fossilis. In C, mrigala x C. catla and C. mrigala x L. rohita hybrids, the C. mrigala specific MboI fragment is inherited uniparentally. In the reciprocal hybrids of C. batrachus x H. fossilis, the satellite ladder contains the bands of both parental species. The MboI satellite of carp may be useful in genetic introgression analysis and that of catfish in distinguishing between gynogenetic progeny and true hybrids.