Centromere-specific multicolour fluorescence in situ hybridization on human spermatocyte I and II metaphases.
BACKGROUND
Most meiotic studies in metaphase spermatocytes have been carried out with classic cytogenetic techniques. The aim of this work was to adjust the centromere-specific multicolour fluorescence in situ hybridization (cenM-FISH) procedure to spermatocyte metaphases I and II in order to improve the identification of meiotic chromosome abnormalities.


METHODS
A total of 168 spermatocytes I and 66 spermatocytes II from two fertile males have been studied using cenM-FISH.


RESULTS
The mean frequency of meiotic abnormalities (synaptic, numerical and structural errors) found in metaphases I and II was 22.1 and 3.0%, respectively. The cenM-FISH technique has not only enabled the individual identification of chromosomes involved in meiotic disorders, but also increased the number of analysable cells, principally at metaphase II stage.


CONCLUSIONS
CenM-FISH is a useful tool to study the meiotic chromosomal disorders and mechanisms leading to chromosomally abnormal spermatozoa.
Uroz
L
L
Departament de Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
Liehr
T
T
Mrasek
K
K
Templado
C
C
D002503:Centromere; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D007621:Karyotyping / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D008677:Metaphase; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes