Human Genetics

, Volume 75, Issue 2, pp 155–158 | Cite as

Size variation in kinetochores of human chromosomes

  • Lorraine M. Cherry
  • Dennis A. Johnston
Original Investigations
Received:
Revised:

Summary

Aneuploidy, the loss or gain of chromosomes from cells, is likely in many cases to involve the kinetochore, the site of attachment of spindle microtubules. We analyzed human fibroblast cells with antikinetochore-antibody indirect immunofluorescence, and noted an apparent heterogeneity in the sizes of kinetochores among different chromosomes. The Y chromosome in particular always showed minute kinetochores, an observation which was quantified and substantiated using computer-assisted image analysis. This finding, combined with literature reports about in vivo and in vitro involvement of the Y chromosome in aneuploidy, was used to frame a novel hypothesis about the generation of chromosome imbalance.

Keywords

Internal Medicine Image Analysis Metabolic Disease Size Variation Fibroblast Cell 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1987

Authors and Affiliations

  • Lorraine M. Cherry
    • 1
  • Dennis A. Johnston
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Genetics-HMB 181 and Department of Biomathematics-HMB 237The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at HoustonHoustonUSA

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