Fluram induces species-dependent C and G bands in mammalian chromosomes, revealing heterogeneous distribution of chromosomal proteins.
Fluram (Fluorescamine; 4-phenylspiro(furan-2(3H),1'-phthalan)-3,3'-dione) is a fluorogenic reagent, which permits the detection of primary amines by forming highly fluorescent pyrrolinone derivatives. This reagent has been used on methanol-acetic acid fixed metaphase chromosomes of mouse and man and proved to be very effective in differentiating chromosome regions in both genomes. Mouse centromeric heterochromatin is highly reactive, showing intense fluorescence in all centromeric regions, whereas human chromosomes show no fluorescence in such regions. In addition, a G-like banding pattern is also obtained in both types of chromosomes. The differential reactivity of each chromosome region showed by this method demonstrates a heterogeneous distribution of chromosome proteins, resulting in a chromosome banding pattern, which is in this case species dependent.
Cuéllar
T
T
Departamento de Biología, Unidad de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Gosálvez
J
J
Del Castillo
P
P
Stockert
J C
JC
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002503:Centromere / Q000187:drug effects; D002871:Chromosome Banding / Q000379:methods*; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D005450:Fluorescamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D013045:Species Specificity
D006570:Heterochromatin; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D005450:Fluorescamine