Cytogenetic and molecular analysis of an unbalanced translocation (X;7) (q28;p15) in a dysmorphic girl

A severely retarded and dysmorphic girl, carrying an unbalanced X/7 translocation with breakpoints at Xq28 and 7p14, was analyzed by cytogenetic, biochemical and molecular techniques. The X/7 translocated chromosome was found to replicate consistently late in the 105 metaphases analyzed. In 83 of these cells, late replication was limited to the X portion of the abnormal chromosome, whereas in 22 cells incomplete spreading into the autosomal fragment was observed. Southern blot and in situ hybridization experiments with probe G80 (locus D7S373) (previously localized to 7p13-15) and G98 (localized to 7p14-15) assigns the former to 7p15 and the latter to 7p14, thus suggesting the order 7ter-G80-G98-cen. The activity of the enzyme phosphoserine phosphatase localized to 7pter-p14 was increased. Southern blotting experiments with 19 probes spanning the entire X chromosome demonstrated that the translocated chromosome had lost a portion of Xq28 (locus DXS51) but still retained part of Xq27 (F9 locus). The results confirm that the proband is trisomic for the region 7p15-pter and monosomic for the region Xq28-qter. Comparing her phenotype with those of other cases of partial trisomy or monosomy 7p, we confirm that band 7q21 is probably involved in skull development.