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Frequency of Ag-stained nucleolus organizer regions in the acrocentric chromosomes of man

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Summary

The Ag-stainability of the nucleolus organizer region (NOR) was studied in the acrocentric chromosomes identified by Q-banding of cultured lymphocytes in 51 karyotypically normal persons (31 males and 20 females). A consistent pattern of Ag-positive NORs was found in each individual. Ninety percent of the individuals have a modal number of 8–10 Ag-positive NORs per cell. The frequency of Ag-positive NORs is similar in all five acrocentrics. A statistically nonsignificant lower frequency is found in chromosome 22. Ag-negative NORs on both homologues were found in four cases. The observed frequency distribution of individuals with homozygous NOR-positive, heterozygous, and homozygous negative acrocentric chromosomes was in accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg law in all five pairs of the acrocentric chromosomes as well as in total. No sex difference was observed in our material.

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Author notes

  1. A. V. Mikelsaar

    Present address: Central Medical Research Laboratory, Tartu State University, USSR

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Histologisch-Embryologisches Institut of the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    A. V. Mikelsaar, H. G. Schwarzacher & W. Schnedl

  2. Institut für Humangenetik of the University of Ulm, Germany

    M. Schmid & W. Krone

Authors
  1. A. V. Mikelsaar
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  2. M. Schmid
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  3. W. Krone
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  4. H. G. Schwarzacher
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  5. W. Schnedl
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Additional information

A.-V. Mikelsaar is visiting exchange scientist of the Österreichische Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung

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Mikelsaar, A.V., Schmid, M., Krone, W. et al. Frequency of Ag-stained nucleolus organizer regions in the acrocentric chromosomes of man. Hum Genet 37, 73–77 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00293774

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00293774

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