Condensation--inhibition by 33258-Hoechst of centromeric heterochromatin in prematurely condensed mouse chromosomes.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Sperling.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A significant decrease in DNA ligase activity was observed in lymphocytes and fibroblasts of a patient with Fanconi's anemia (FA). This decrease is related to the observed DNA repair deficiency indicated by the delayed closing of repair DNA strands following UV irradiation. Other steps of DNA repair were analyzed in the FA fibroblasts, including endonucleolytic incision of DNA, repair DNA synthesis, and exonucleolytic removal of the photoproducts. No differences were found against control cells. The action of DNA ligase is delayed during replication in the FA cells, as seen by an accumulation of replicative intermediates.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The behaviour of human cells arrested in mitosis can be severely perturbed so as to generate numerous small minisegregants containing very few chromosomes. These cells can be separated according to size and DNA content and fused with intact cells. In this paper we describe the production and some properties of proliferating cell hybrids generated by fusion of human minisegregant cells derived from a HeLa strain with mouse A9 cells deficient in hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT, EC 2.4.2.8). The hybrids were shown to contain up to 10 human chromosomes including a single X. Independently derived hybrid clones were quantitatively characterized and compared with the parental phenotypes with respect to HPRT. Human isozymes of each of the 3 enzymes HPRT, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) and phosphoglycerate kinase (EC 2,7.2.3) were found. Tests to evaluate both structure and function of HPRT were utilized. The specific activity of HPRT of more than 10 hybrids tested was approximately 10% that of the HeLa parent. Structural characterization of HPRT from hybrid cells as evidenced by heat inactivation and electrophoretic mobility results in a 'human-like' phenotype. Functional characterization of parental HPRT results in kinetic constants for cofactor and substrate which do not permit distinction of human and of human and mouse enzymes; HPRT from the minisegregant hybrids had normal kinetic constants. The reduced specific activity of HPRT in the hybrids is discussed in terms of the inability of the mouse environment to regulate the full expression of the human structural gene.
The pre- and postnatal clinical, cytogenetic and embryological findings in a family suffering from trisomy 9p and spinal muscular atrophy are presented. The clinical picture of the "trisomy 9p" -syndrome is delineated. Concurrence of autosomal aberration and spinal muscular atrophy, probably of the Werdnig-Hoffmann type, is discussed.
The C-band length of human chromosome 1 in prophase and prematurely condensed interphase chromosomes is relatively shorter than in metaphase chromosomes. However, even in chromosomes with the same degree of contraction the absolute length of the C-band varies considerably. This allocyclic behaviour of human constitutive heterochromatin has to be kept in mind if C-bands of different individuals are compared.
Numerical and structural chromosome aberrations can be responsible for sterility, infertility and live-borns with multiple malformations. The usefulness of cytogenetical studies in those handicapped families is discussed in respect to medical advice and genetic counseling.
The spindle apparatus of human mitoses can be preferentially stained with Giemsa if the cells are fixed with methanol--acetic acid and treated for about 15 min with 0.1 X SSC at 92 degrees C and for 18 h with 2 X SSC at 60 degrees C.
With the BrdU technique here described, Giemsa stained metaphases with either early or late replicational patterns can be obtained within 1 day after cell harvesting, showing a better resolution than 3H-thymidine autoradiography.
Cytogenetic studies of an 8-year-old caucasian girl with typical but mild manifestation of Bloom's syndrome showed a characteristic increase of homologous chromatid translocations and prematurely condensed chromosomes. The average frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in lymphocytes with 133 was much higher than in skin fibroblasts with 49. The inter- and intrachromosomal distributions of SCE in lymphocytes were analyzed.
Human chromosomes and interphase nuclei labeled with 3H-thymidine and treated with the ASG and trypsin technique for G banding show no DNA loss. However, after G 11 and C banding significantly more DNA is removed from euchromatin than from constitutive heterochromatin.
Evidence is presented for the occurrence of premature chromosome condensation (PCC) from micronuclei even in the first in vitro mitoses in a case of Fanconi's anemia.
In lymphocytes of a 7-year-old boy with Fanconi's anemia the frequencies and sites of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) were studied with the BrdU-Giemsa method. The average frequency of SCE (8.8 per metaphase) and the inter- and intrachromosomal distribution of SCE was not significantly different from the controls.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma (EPPK) (Vörner-Unna-Thost) is an autosomal dominantly inherited skin disease of unknown etiology characterized by diffuse severe hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles and, histologically, by cellular degeneration. We have mapped a gene for EPPK to chromosome 17q11-q23, with linkage analysis using microsatellite DNA-polymorphisms, in a single large family of 7 generations. A maximum lod score of z = 6.66 was obtained with the probe D17S579 at a recombination fraction of theta = 0.00. This locus maps to the same region as the type I (acidic) keratin gene cluster. Keratins, members of the intermediate filament family, the major proteins of the cytoskeleton in epidermis, are differentially expressed in a tissue-specific manner. One acidic keratin, keratin 9 (KRT9), is expressed only in the terminally differentiated epidermis of palms and soles. The KRT9 gene has not yet been cloned; however, since the genes for most acidic keratins are clustered, it is highly probable that it too will map to this region. We therefore propose KRT9 as the candidate gene for EPPK.