A comparison of constitutive heterochromatin staining methods in two cases of familial heterochromatin deficiencies

✍ Scribed by C. H. C. M. Buys; G. J. P. A. Anders; W. L. Gouw; J. M. M. Borkent-Ypma; J. A. M. Blenkers-Platter

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1979
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 358 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0340-6717
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00284607

✦ Synopsis

Using DAPI staining after pretreatment with distamycin A we detected a familial deficiency of chromosome 16 heterochromatin. A distinct positively staining band, however, was seen after C-banding. Thus, by using these different heterochromatin staining methods, heterogeneity of the constitutive heterochromatin in the centromeric region of human chromosome 16 was indicated. The same C-banding procedure was also applied to a previously described familial deficiency of chromosome 9 heterochromatin evidenced using distamycin A/DAPI staining and G 11 staining (Buys et al., 1979). In this case a C-band appeared to be virtually absent on the relevant chromosome. These staining methods may be valuable tools in the study of chromosome polymorphisms.