title: The use of distamycin A in human lymphocyte cultures.
abstract: The effect of the oligopeptide antibiotic distamycin A on human lymphocyte cultures was examined. Distamycin A specifically inhibits the condensation of the Y heterochromatin and induces a fragile site in the chromosome 16 (band q22) in some individuals. The optimal culture conditions under which an undercondensation of the Y heterochromatin and an induction of the fragile site in 16q22 can be achieved by in vitro treatment of lymphocytes were determined. This also permits the use of distamycin A in routine diagnostics of human chromosomes. The use of this technique in the analysis of translocations involving the Y chromosome is presented. The distamycin A-DNA interaction and the different possible explanations for the distamycin A-induced undercondensations of the Y heterochromatin and fragile sites 16q22 are discussed.
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D043283:Chromosome Fragile Sites; D002873:Chromosome Fragility; D002902:Chromosomes, Human, 16-18 / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004214:Distamycins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D004214:Distamycins; D006570:Heterochromatin; D011758:Pyrroles; C030000:stallimycin; D004247:DNA