Summary
The material consists of 84 metaphase plates from 17 individuals with clearly distinguishable Y chromosomes. The plates were obtained from leucocyte cultures. In making the preparations, exactly the same procedure was employed in all cases, including among other things, air-drying and light flaming.
It was found that the size of the Y chromosome is subject to interindividual variation. The size of the Y chromosome has been expressed in relation to the mean length of the other small acrocentric chromosomes. The chromosomes have been tentatively classified into the following main groups:1. Y/G = 1.8; 2. Y/G =1.5; 3. Y/G is somewhat larger than G or 1.1, and 4. Y/G equals the mean of the small acrocentric chromosomes, or Y/G = 1. In the long Y chromosome two secondary constrictions have been observed.
The location of the Y chromosome has been determined as peripheral or non-peripheral. The proband material has been divided into three main groups. The first comprises the individuals with a large Y chromosome (Y/G = 1.8). The second group includes individuals showing Down's syndrome and having 47 chromosomes, and the third comprises individuals with 46 chromosomes and possessing a Y/G sized 1 to 1.5. Preferential peripheral location of the Y chromosome has not been statistically verified in any one of these groups.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bender, M. A., and P. C. Gooch: An unusually long human Y chromosome. Lancet 1961 II, 463–464.
Bishop, A., C. E. Blank, and H. Hunter: Heritable variation in the human Y chromosome. Lancet 1962 II, 18–20.
Brink, J. M. van, P. L. Los, and A. J. Nienhaus: Satellite associations and the identification of the Y chromosome in man. Genetica 33, 45–51 (1962).
Chu, E. H. Y., and N. H. Giles: Human chromosome complements in normal somatic cells in culture. Amer. J. hum. Gen. 11, 63–79 (1959).
Conen, P. E., J. D. Bailey, W. H. Allemang, D. W. Thompson, and C. Ezrin: A probable partial deletion of the Y chromosome in an intersex patient. Lancet 1961 II, 294–295.
Dekaban, A. S., M. A. Bender, and G. E. Economos: Chromosome studies in mongoloids and their families. Cytogenetics 2, 61–75 (1963).
Denver study group: A proposed standard system of nomenclature of human mitotic chromosomes. Cerebr. Palsy Bull. 2, No 3, Suppl. (1960).
Fisher, R. A.: Statistical methods for research workers. 1948.
German, J. L.: Further characterization of the chromosomal complement of man through autoradiography. Proc. XI Internat. Congr. Gen. 1, 301 (1963).
Jacobs, P. A., and D. G. Harnden: See L. J. Penrose: Mongolism. Brit. med. Bull. 17, 184–189 (1961).
Källén, B., and A. Levan: Abnormal length of chromosomes 21 and 22 in four patients with Marfan's syndrome. Cytogenetics 1, 5–19 (1962).
Levan, A., and T. C. Hsu: The human idiogram. Hereditas (Lund) 45, 665–674 (1959).
Makino, S., M. S. Sasaki, K. Yamada, and T. Kajii: A long Y chromosome in man. Chromosoma (Berl.) 14, 154–161 (1963).
Matthey, R.: Les bases cytologiques de l'hérédité ≪relativement≫ liée au sexe chez les mammifères. Experientia (Basel) 13, 341–346 (1957).
Miller, O. J., W. R. Breg, B. B. Mukherjee, A. V. N. Gamble, and A. C. Christakos: Non-random distribution of chromosomes in metaphase figures from cultured human leukocytes. II. The peripheral location of chromosomes 13, 17–18 and 21. Cytogenetics 2, 152–168 (1963).
—, B. B. Mukherjee, W. R. Breg, and A. van N. Gamble: Non-random distribution of chromosomes in metaphase figures from cultured human leukocytes. I. The peripheral location of the Y chromosome. Cytogenetics 2, 1–14 (1963).
Muldal, S., and C. H. Ockey: Muscular dystrophy and deletion of Y chromosome. Lancet 1961 II, 601.
Patau, K.: The identification of individual chromosomes especially in man. Amer. J. hum. Gen. 12, 250–276 (1960); - Chromosome identification and the Denver report. Lancet 1961 I, 933–934.
Sasaki, M. S., and S. Makino: The demonstration of secondary constrictions in human chromosomes by means of a new technique. Amer. J. hum. Gen. 15, 24–33 (1963).
Stern, C.: The chromosomes of man. J. med. Educ. 34, 301–314 (1959).
Swanson, C.: Cytology and Cytogenetics. Englewoods Cliffs, N. Y., Prentice-Hall. 1957.
Tjio, J. H., and T. T. Puck: The somatic chromosomes of man. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 44, 1229–1237 (1958).
Wijck, J. A. M. van, C. A. J. Tijinck, and L. A. M. Stolte: Abnormalities in the Y chromosome. Lancet 1962 I, 218.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gripenberg, U. Size variation and orientation of the human Y chromosome. Chromosoma 15, 618–629 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319995
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319995