Non-random distribution of high density chromatin detected at opposite ends of T-banded human metaphase chromosomes

Genetics and Molecular Biology

Federico F. Santiñaque¹  Máximo E. Drets¹ 

[1] ,Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable Laboratory of Quantitative Microscopy Montevideo,Uruguay

关键词: human chromosomes;    T-banding;    chromatin structure;    telomere;    microdensitometry;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1415-47572007000600004

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Previous research using microdensitometric scanning and computer graphic image analysis showed that T-banded segments of human metaphase chromosomes usually exhibit an asymmetrical distribution of high density (HD) chromatin between sister chromatids. Here, we employed the same methods to analyze HD chromatin distribution at opposite ends of T-banded human lymphocyte chromosomes. This study revealed that in most chromosomes with an asymmetrical distribution of HD chromatin at both ends, the highest densities of each arm were located in opposite chromatids. The frequency of this configuration was 0.792 per chromosome, indicating that the highest chromatin densities of the terminal segments of T-banded human chromosomes were non-randomly distributed at opposite chromosome arms. The possible relationship of this observation to the mode of replication of the terminal chromosome region is briefly discussed.

【 授权许可】

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