Centric fission consequences in man

The authors summarise the consequences of centric fission in man as follows: classical (monocentric) isochromosomes; usually either for p or q, exceptionally for both arms; stable telocentrics for either one or both arms; isochromosome for one arm, stable telocentric for the other; isochromosome for one arm concurring with translocation of the telocentric for the other; telocentric/isochromosome mosaicism for the same arm; stable telocentric for a part of one arm, the remaining of the chromosome forming a smaller element (obviously this rearrangement requires an additional break outside the centromere), and whole-arm translocations. These events are discussed in the light of current notions about centromere structure and function.