Complete deficiency of constitutive heterochromatin on a human chromosome 9.
In cultured amniotic fluid cells a mediocentric chromosome 9 appeared to be completely deficient in constitutive heterochromatin when stained with distamycin A and DAPI. In addition, this deficient chromosome was found in a blood cell culture from the father. Both the father and the child after birth were phenotypically normal. Evidently, a considerable heterozygotic deficit of chromosome 9 heterochromatin can be tolerated without affecting the phenotype. The heterochromatin defect was also shown by G11-staining. Distamycin A-DAPI staining is highly reproducible and is recommended as a fluorescent alternative to often less successful G11-methods for the detection of heteromorphism of chromosome 9.
D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002906:Chromosomes, Human, 6-12 and X; D005260:Female; D006570:Heterochromatin; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D006570:Heterochromatin