title: Three-dimensional positioning of B chromosomes in fibroblast nuclei of the red fox and the chinese raccoon dog.
abstract: Great progress has been achieved over the last years in studies on chromosome arrangement in mammalian cell nuclei. Growing evidence indicates that the genome's spatial organization is of functional relevance. So far, no attention has been paid to the nuclear organization of B chromosomes (Bs). In this study we have examined nuclear positioning of Bs in 2 species from the Canidae family--the red fox and the Chinese raccoon dog. Using 2D and 3D fluorescence in situ hybridization and 2 gene-specific probes (C-KIT and PDGFRA), we analyzed the location of Bs in fibroblast nuclei. We found that small Bs of the red fox occupied mostly the interior of the nucleus, while medium-sized Bs of the Chinese raccoon dog were observed in the peripheral area of the nucleus as well as in intermediate and interior locations. The more uniform distribution of B chromosomes in the Chinese raccoon dog may be the result of differences in their size, since 3 morphological types of Bs are distinguished in this species. Our results indicate that 3D positioning of B chromosomes in fibroblast nuclei of the 2 canid species is in agreement with the chromosome size-dependent theory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kociucka
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sosnowski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubiak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pawlak
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szczerbal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D045584:Chromosome Positioning; D033481:Chromosomes, Mammalian / Q000235:genetics; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D005589:Foxes / Q000235:genetics*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007399:Interphase; D008677:Metaphase; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics; D046031:Raccoon Dogs / Q000235:genetics*; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha