A clade of New World primates with distinctive alphoid satellite DNAs

Centromerically located alphoid satellite DNAs are present in all primates. They typically consist of arrays of a 340-bp monomeric unit that is composed of related, but diverged, 170-bp subunits. A unique monomeric unit has recently been described: the alphoid satellite monomers of the neotropical primate Chiropotes satanas (bearded saki) are typically 539 bp in length. In addition, a number of smaller satellite sequences are present in this species. Analysis of two primates closely related to Chiropotes, Pithecia irrorata (saki) and Cacajao melanocephalus (uakari), show that they also contain unique alphoid satellites that are different from those of Chiropotes and different from one another. Southern blot and sequence analyses suggest that an alphoid satellite rearrangement(s) occurred early in the history of the tribe Pitheciini (Chiropotes, Pithecia, Cacajao) and that rearrangements are continuing to occur in this group of primates.