Suppression of human nucleolus organizer activity in mouse-human somatic hybrid cells

Cells from four different mouse-human somatic cell hybrids were stained with quinacrine to identify each metaphase chromosome and with ammoniacal silver by the Ag-AS method to locate nucleolus organizer regions. Each of the hybrids contained human acrocentric chromosomes. None of these human acrocentric chromosomes was stained with silver in any hybrid cell. Diploid cells were available from the human parent of one of the hybrids. In these cells both copies of nos. 13 and 15 stained with silver; the same chromosomes in the hybrid cell were not stained. These results support earlier reports that the expression of human ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes is suppressed in mouse-human hybrid cells. Further, they suggest that silver staining by the Ag-AS method reflects activity of rRNA genes rather than just the presence of these genes.     

Localization of genes on human chromosomes by studies of human-Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids

Summary About 75 man-Chinese hamster hybrid clones were analysed for their human chromosome complement and simultaneously tested for human enzyme markers. Correlation of the presence of chromosomes and enzyme activity revealed assignments of the PGD linkage group to chromosome 1, ME₁, PGM₃ and IPO-B to 6, LDH-A to 11, LDH-B to 12 and IPO-A to 21.The assignment of PGM₃ puts the HL-A loci on chromosome 6. Segregation of the enzymes of the PGD linkage group was demonstrated in a clone which had retained a deleted chromosome 1. Subclones of this line indicate that the loci for PGD and PGM₁ are situated on the short arm or proximal part of the long arm of 1 and the locus for Pep-C on the long arm.

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Zusammenfassung Etwa 75 Hybrid-Zellklone Mensch/Chinesischer Hamster wurden in bezug auf den menschlichen Anteil ihres Chromosomensatzes analysiert und gleichzeitig auf menschliche Enzym-Marker untersucht. Die Korrelation zwischen Anwesenheit von Chromosomen und Enzym-Markern ließ die Folgerung zu, daß die PGD-Koppelungsgruppe auf Chromosom 1, ME₁, PGM₃ und IPO-B auf Nr. 6, LDH-A auf 11, LDH-B auf 12 und IPO-A auf Chromosom 21 gelegen ist.Die Lokalisation von PGM₃ läßt die Folgerung zu, daß auch die HL-A-loci auf Chromosom 6 lokalisiert sind. Aufspaltung der Enzyme der PGD-Koppelungsgruppe konnte an einem Klon dargestellt werden, der ein deletiertes Chromosom 1 enthielt. Die Subklone dieser Linie zeigen, daß die loci für PGD und PGM₁ auf dem kurzen Arm oder dem proximalen Teil des langen Arms von Chromosom Nr. 1 liegen, während der locus für Pep-C auf dem langen Arm gelegen ist.

     

Frequency of Ag-stained nucleolus organizer regions in the chromosomes of cattle

Sequential Ag NOR/G-band studies were performed on the chromosomes of 33 Austrian Al bulls. The mean number of Ag-NORs per bull karyotype was 6.06. The distribution of Ag-NORs was found to be characteristic for each individual.     

Ag-staining of nucleolus organizer regions on human prematurely condensed chromosomes from cells with different ribosomal RNA gene activity

The Ag-staining of the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) of prematurely condensed chromosomes (PCCs) of human cells showing different degrees of rRNA-gene activity clearly indicates a close correlation between the positive Ag-staining of NORs and the activity of rRNA genes. The Ag-stain, however, seems insensitive to low rates of rRNA synthesis and obviously follows a threshold reaction. Furthermore it was found that the frequency of Ag-positive chromosomes involved in satellite associations in interphase does not differ from that in metaphase.     

Frequency of Ag-stained nucleolus organizer regions in the acrocentric chromosomes of man

Summary The Ag-stainability of the nucleolus organizer region (NOR) was studied in the acrocentric chromosomes identified by Q-banding of cultured lymphocytes in 51 karyotypically normal persons (31 males and 20 females). A consistent pattern of Ag-positive NORs was found in each individual. Ninety percent of the individuals have a modal number of 8–10 Ag-positive NORs per cell. The frequency of Ag-positive NORs is similar in all five acrocentrics. A statistically nonsignificant lower frequency is found in chromosome 22. Ag-negative NORs on both homologues were found in four cases. The observed frequency distribution of individuals with homozygous NOR-positive, heterozygous, and homozygous negative acrocentric chromosomes was in accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg law in all five pairs of the acrocentric chromosomes as well as in total. No sex difference was observed in our material.A.-V. Mikelsaar is visiting exchange scientist of the Österreichische Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung     

A rapid technique for producing silver-stained nucleolus organizer regions and trypsin-Giemsa bands on human chromosomes

Summary A simple and rapid technique is described whereby the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) of human chromosomes can be differentially stained with silver. This staining is followed by trypsin-Giemsa banding on the same metaphase chromosomes. The metaphases simultaneously exhibit silverstained NORs and G bands, allowing for the unequivocal identification of all chromosomes and greatly facilitating studies involving the NOR-bearing acrocentrics.     

Populational polymorphisms in silver staining of nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) in human acrocentric chromosomes

Summary The Ag stainability of the nucleolus organizer region (NOR) was studied in the acrocentric chromosomes identified by Q banding of cultured lymphocytes in 41 karyotypically normal persons (33 males and 8 females) originating from southeast Estonia. The data obtained are compared with those established earlier for a combined Vienna-Ulm population of 51 karyotypically normal persons (see Mikelsaar et al., 1977a). Significant differences between the two populations in the frequency and patterns of Ag-positive NORs were found. The following findings were most striking: the frequency of Ag-positive NORs in chromosome 14 and in the totals was significantly lower in the Estonian population than in the Vienna-Ulm population (P<0.01). The average modal number of Ag-positive NORs per individual was 7.8 in the Estonian population and 8.7 in the Vienna-Ulm sample (P<0.01). If the data of the two populations were combined the frequency of positive NORs was significantly (P<0.05) lower in chromosome 22 than in 13,15, and 21, but not 14.     

"PCR-karyotype" of human chromosomes in somatic cell hybrids

Amplification of human DNA sequences in 16 monochromosomal somatic cell hybrids containing different human chromosomes were performed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primer directed at human-specific regions of Alu or L1, the two major classes of interspersed repetitive sequences (IRS-PCR). A chromosome-specific pattern of amplification products was observed on agarose gels run with ethidium bromide, producing a "PCR-karyotype." This simple gel analysis provides a rapid method for identifying and monitoring the human chromosomal content of monochromosomal somatic cell hybrids without conventional cytogenetic analysis. Hybrids containing multiple human chromosome produce complex gel patterns, but identification of chromosome content can be achieved by hybridization of PCR products against a reference panel of monochromosomal or highly reduced hybrids representing each human chromosome. This dot-blot method also enables identification of human marker chromosomes or translocated pieces in hybrids that are not identifiable by cytogenetic methods. These IRS-PCR methods should greatly reduce the need for more laborious cytogenetic, isozyme, and Southern blot characterizations of human-rodent cell hybrids.     

Detection of nucleolus organizer regions in chromosomes of human,chimpanzee, gorilla,orangutan and gibbon

Nucleolus organizer regions were detected by the Ag-AS silver method in fixed metaphase chromosomes from human and primates. In the human, silver was deposited in the secondary constriction of a maximum of five pairs of acrocentric chromosomes: 13, 14, 15, 21 and 22. The chimpanzee also had five pairs of acrocentric chromosomes stained, corresponding to human numbers 13, 14, 18, 21 and 22. A gibbon had a single pair of chromosomes with a secondary constriction, which corresponded to the nucleolus organizer region. In each case the Ag-AS method detected the sites which have been shown by in situ hybridization to contain the ribosomal RNA genes. An orangutan had eight pairs of acrocentric chromosomes stained with Ag-AS, probably corresponding to human numbers 13, 14, 15, 18, 21 and 22, plus two others. Two gorillas had silver stain over two pairs of small acrocentric chromosomes and at the telomere of one chromosome 1. The larger gorilla acrocentric chromosomes had no silver stain although they all had secondary constrictions and entered into satellite associations.     

Sterility in hybrid cattle. I. Distribution of constitutive heterochromatin and nucleolus organizer regions in somatic and meiotic chromosomes.

The distribution of constitutive heterochromatin and nucleolus organizer regions (NOR's) in somatic as well as in meiotic chromosomes of Bos taurus, Bos banteng, Bison bison, and their hybrids are analyzed. C-bands are present in the centromeric regions of every autosome. The X chromosome does not show a distinct C-band in the centromeric region, whereas the Y chromosome contains an appreciable amount of C-band material. In somatic metaphases, NOR's are present on the telomeric ends of five pairs of autosomes. During pachytene, five autosomal bivalents contain NOR's on their terminal ends. Meiotic preparations made from sterile bulls did not contain stages beyond the degenerating pachytene, which are C-banding, more frequently showed clustering of heterochromatin than did the pachytene stage in normal bulls.     

Behavior of the nucleolus organizer regions of the chromosomes in polykaryocytes consisting of micronuclei

The nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) of Chinese hamster chromosomes (clone 237, cell line BIId-ii-FAF28) were studied in mononuclear cells and polykaryocytes induced with colcemid. The chromosomes with NORs were marked as 1, 2, 3, 4. The activity of NORs in mononuclear cells was higher in chromosomes 1, 2, 3. The associations of NORs were observed between chromosomes I and 2 (3% of all metaphases). In polykaryocytes the chromosomal pairs 1, 2, 3 showed different NOR activity in different metaphases. The associations of NORs in pairs of chromosome I were found in 51.3% of cases. The associations of NORs in pairs of chromosome 2 were observed in 7.5% of cases. This method may be used for the estimation of association potency of NORs in chromosomes.     

A method for discriminating murine and human chromosomes in somatic cell hybrids

Treatment of cultured mouse cells with the benzimidazole compound “33258 Hoechst” induces an enlargement of the pericentric area of most mouse metaphase chromosomes. The drug, however, has no effect on human chromosomes. Therefore, pretreatment of mouse-man somatic cell hybrids with the compound allows easy discrimination of murine and human chromosomes in the metaphase preparations.     

Interindividual and intercellular differences in the total activity of ribosomal genes detectable by the Ag staining of nucleolus organizer regions in human acrocentric chromosomes

Selectively Ag-stained nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) of human chromosomes were analysed using four size categories: 0, 1, 2 or 3 grades. A criterion of NORs' total activity has been proposed as a sum of grades (sigma (+]. On this basis, interindividual polymorphism was defined in 60 healthy individuals with normal karyotypes. The reaction norm of sigma (+) was determined (from 16 to 22 grades). In the cells of the patients with two nucleolar organizing chromosomes involved in Robertsonian translocations the sigma (+) was within the reaction norm (16-19). The total NORs activity was determined in a patient having both normal karyotype cells and two cell clones with one or two small bisatellited chromosomes: sigma (+) in three cell clones amounted to 20.5, 23.0 and 26.3. In the clones with additional NORs, the silver staining intensity for 10 NORs of the main set did not change, which leads to a suggestion that no compensatory change in the number of rRNA gene copies working takes place in man. The data obtained allow to suppose that zygotic selection operates in man, which ensures maintainance of the number of the ribosomal gene's copies necessary for viability of an individual.     

Ectopic nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) in human testicular tumors

Investigation of nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) in hematopoietic malignancies has indicated that the distribution and rearrangement of these regions may be more important in malignant tissues than is their number. In one of the few studies thus far reported on NORs in human solid tumors, we describe here Ag-NORs in a group of human testicular germ-cell tumors and the corresponding patients. Four of seven malignancies demonstrated consistent ectopic NORs; explanations could include chromosomal rearrangement (insertion?) or derepression of preexisting inactive NORs.