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Chromosomes are predominantly located randomly with respect to each other in interphase human cells.

Authors :
Cornforth MN
Greulich-Bode KM
Loucas BD
Arsuaga J
Vázquez M
Sachs RK
Brückner M
Molls M
Hahnfeldt P
Hlatky L
Brenner DJ
Source :
The Journal of cell biology [J Cell Biol] 2002 Oct 28; Vol. 159 (2), pp. 237-44. Date of Electronic Publication: 2002 Oct 28.
Publication Year :
2002

Abstract

To test quantitatively whether there are systematic chromosome-chromosome associations within human interphase nuclei, interchanges between all possible heterologous pairs of chromosomes were measured with 24-color whole-chromosome painting (multiplex FISH), after damage to interphase lymphocytes by sparsely ionizing radiation in vitro. An excess of interchanges for a specific chromosome pair would indicate spatial proximity between the chromosomes comprising that pair. The experimental design was such that quite small deviations from randomness (extra pairwise interchanges within a group of chromosomes) would be detectable. The only statistically significant chromosome cluster was a group of five chromosomes previously observed to be preferentially located near the center of the nucleus. However, quantitatively, the overall deviation from randomness within the whole genome was small. Thus, whereas some chromosome-chromosome associations are clearly present, at the whole-chromosomal level, the predominant overall pattern appears to be spatially random.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0021-9525
Volume :
159
Issue :
2
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
The Journal of cell biology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
12403811
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200206009