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The radial arrangement of the human chromosome 7 in the lymphocyte cell nucleus is associated with chromosomal band gene density

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Abstract

In the nuclei of human lymphocytes, chromosome territories are distributed according to the average gene density of each chromosome. However, chromosomes are very heterogeneous in size and base composition, and can contain both very gene-dense and very gene-poor regions. Thus, a precise analysis of chromosome organisation in the nuclei should consider also the distribution of DNA belonging to the chromosomal bands in each chromosome. To improve our understanding of the chromatin organisation, we localised chromosome 7 DNA regions, endowed with different gene densities, in the nuclei of human lymphocytes. Our results showed that this chromosome in cell nuclei is arranged radially with the gene-dense/GC-richest regions exposed towards the nuclear interior and the gene-poorest/GC-poorest ones located at the nuclear periphery. Moreover, we found that chromatin fibres from the 7p22.3 and the 7q22.1 bands are not confined to the territory of the bulk of this chromosome, protruding towards the inner part of the nucleus. Overall, our work demonstrates the radial arrangement of the territory of chromosome 7 in the lymphocyte nucleus and confirms that human genes occupy specific radial positions, presumably to enhance intra- and inter-chromosomal interaction among loci displaying a similar expression pattern, and/or similar replication timing.

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Acknowledgement

We thank Giorgio Bernardi for very useful comments, Joanna Bridger and Oliver Clay for critical reading of the manuscript, and the anonymous referees for constructive criticisms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Biologia Animale “M. La Greca”, University of Catania, via Androne 81, 95124, Catania, Italy

    Concetta Federico, Catia Daniela Cantarella, Patrizia Di Mare & Salvatore Saccone

  2. Division of Biosciences, Centre for Cell and Chromosome Biology, Brunel University, West London, UK

    Sabrina Tosi

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  1. Concetta Federico
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  2. Catia Daniela Cantarella
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  3. Patrizia Di Mare
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  4. Sabrina Tosi
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  5. Salvatore Saccone
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Correspondence to Salvatore Saccone.

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Communicated by R. Allshire

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Federico, C., Cantarella, C.D., Di Mare, P. et al. The radial arrangement of the human chromosome 7 in the lymphocyte cell nucleus is associated with chromosomal band gene density. Chromosoma 117, 399–410 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00412-008-0160-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00412-008-0160-x

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