title: Spectral karyotyping, a 24-colour FISH technique for the identification of chromosomal rearrangements.
abstract: Spectral karyotyping (SKY) is a new fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) technique that refers to the molecular cytogenetic analysis of metaphase preparations by means of spectral microscopy. For SKY of human metaphase chromosomes, 24 chromosome-specific painting probes are used in just one FISH experiment. The probes are labelled by degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR using three fluorochromes and two haptens. Each probe is differentially labelled with one, two, three or four fluorescent dyes, resulting in a unique spectral signature for every chromosome. After in situ hybridisation and immunodetection, a spectral image is acquired using a conventional fluorescence light microscope equipped with a custom-designed triple-bandpass filter and the SpectraCube, which is able to retrieve spectral information for every pixel in a digital CCD image. The 24-colour display and chromosome classification are based on the unique emission spectra of the chromosomes. Together with chromosome banding information from an inverted DAPI or a G-banded metaphase, a comprehensive overview of chromosomal aberrations is presented.
authors.affiliation: Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4479, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macville
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Veldman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Padilla-Nash
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wangsa
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schröck
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ried
mesh_terms: D003116:Color; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D007621:Karyotyping; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence