Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2026
Rapid Analysis of Chromosome Aberrations in Mouse B Lymphocytes by PNA-FISH
Published on: August 19, 2014
Discrimination between complete and incomplete chromosome exchanges in X-irradiated human lymphocytes using FISH with
J Fomina1, F Darroudi, J J Boei
1MGC, Department of Radiation Genetics and Chemical Mutagenesis, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands. Fomina@Rullf2.MedFac.LeidenUniv.NL
Purpose:
To discriminate precisely between radiation-induced complete and incomplete chromosome exchanges using chromosome painting together with the detection of the centromeres and telomeres in one FISH assay.
Materials And Methods:
Human lymphocytes were exposed in vitro to X-rays at a dose of 4 Gy. Chromosome aberrations were analysed using the FISH technique in combination with a whole chromosome-specific DNA probe for chromosome 8, human pan-centromeric DNA and telomeric PNA probes.
Results:
The combined FISH assay has improved the resolution of detecting chromosomal exchanges in human lymphocytes. Results indicate that the frequency of observed incomplete exchange patterns was 21% when telomeric signals were ignored during the analysis. When the telomeric signals were included in the analysis a large proportion of apparently incomplete exchange patterns appeared complete and should be re-classified. The percentage of true incomplete exchanges was found to be less than 5%.
Conclusion:
The combination of chromosome painting and the detection of centromeres and telomeres enable unequivocal discrimination between incomplete and complete exchanges. The fraction of true incomplete exchanges observed in X-irradiated human lymphocytes was found to be low in comparison with previous reports in the literature.
