Abstract
PYRIMIDINE tract analysis of two satellite DNAs suggests that their basic sequences are simpler than those calculated from their rates of reassociation (ref. 1 and unpublished results of A. Carr-Brown, E. M. S. and P. M. B. Walker). One possible explanation for this discrepancy would be that mismatched base pairs, which are known to affect the stability of duplexes2, might have a serious effect on the rate of reassociation of DNA. The work of Sutton and McCallum3 (see following article3) shows that this is indeed the case for mouse satellite DNA. If this effect were general it would have serious consequences for the interpretation of the reassociation kinetics of the repeated sequences in higherorganism DNA, because the bulk of these sequences reassociate to give badly matched duplexes. I now discuss a simple modification of the mechanism for DNA reassociation put forward by Wetmur and Davidson5, which may explain why the effect of mismatching is so large and which suggests a relationship which may eventually be used to correct for the effect.
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