Cytochemical evaluation of C-heterochromatic-DNA in metaphase chromosomes

A method is proposed to evaluate the amount of DNA resistant to the C-banding pretreatments (C-heterochromatic-DNA) in metaphase chromosomes. Measurements were performed by microfluorometry on propidium iodide stained metaphases of man, gorilla and mouse; in these species, C-heterochromatin exhibits significant differences of both base composition and distribution along the chromosomes. The amount of C-heterochromatic-DNA was found to be about 16%, 28% and 58% of the total DNA content (genome size) in man, gorilla and mouse, respectively. The areas of C-bands after Giemsa staining were also assessed by microdensitometry, and corresponded to about 8%, 15% and 14% of the total karyotype area of man, gorilla and mouse respectively. No direct relation thus exists between C-band areas and the amount of DNA resistant to the C-banding pretreatments. In man and gorilla, the amount of C-heterochromatic-DNA accounts for the differences observed in genome size.