title: Relationship between the DNA content of human chromosomes and their involvement in radiation-induced structural aberrations, analysed by painting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between the DNA content of human chromosomes and their involvement in radiation-induced structural chromosome aberrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human lymphocytes were cultured after exposure to 5 Gy of X-rays. FISH-painting was performed for all human chromosomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that with the exception of chromosome 20, there was a good fit between the DNA content and the number of exchange-type aberrations and the number of breaks. However, there was a significant tendency for short chromosomes to be more affected than expected and for long chromosomes to be less affected than expected. A better fit was observed when, instead of DNA content, the surface area of the chromosome territories obtained from a spherical model was taken into consideration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tendency for short chromosomes to be more involved and long chromosomes to be less involved in exchange-type aberrations could be related not only to their DNA content but also to their interphase territory surface area.
authors.affiliation: Dpt. Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cigarrán
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Barquinero
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Caballín
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Egozcue
mesh_terms: D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000235:genetics*; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D004247:DNA