title: Specific heterochromatic banding of metaphase chromosomes using nuclear yellow.
abstract: The bis-benzimidazole compound nuclear yellow (NY) belongs to the same chemical family as the DNA binding fluorochromes Hoechst 33258 and Hoechst 33342. Spectroscopic studies of NY alone and in the presence of calf thymus DNA show high DNA binding affinity and behavior similar to the Hoechst fluorochromes above. Mitotic metaphase chromosomes from Balb/c mice stained with NY show C-banding and weak G/Q-banding, both of them disappearing after distamycin A (DA) or methyl green (MG) counterstaining. The same staining of human metaphase chromosomes from lymphocyte cultures, however, reveal only faint G/Q-banding (NY) and a characteristic DA-DAPI-like banding (NY-DA, NY-MG). Image analysis of NY stained human chromosomes, confirms that NY is suitable for studying polymorphisms affecting size in the pericentromeric heterochromatin of pairs 1, 9 and 16, and shows significant enhancement of NY fluorescence induced by DA in DA-DAPI heterochromatin. Our spectroscopic and cytological results show that NY, either alone or counterstained with DA or MG, can be used for DNA cytochemistry and chromosome banding. Possible mechanisms for the banding patterns induced by NY are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinna-Senn
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lisanti
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dalmasso
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gosálvez
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stockert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000737:chemistry*; D002871:Chromosome Banding / Q000379:methods*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004214:Distamycins / Q000737:chemistry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008677:Metaphase; D008739:Methyl Green / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides
chemical_list: D001562:Benzimidazoles; D004247:DNA; D004214:Distamycins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006570:Heterochromatin; D008739:Methyl Green; C036574:nuclear yellow; D000096926:Benzenesulfonamides; C030000:stallimycin