Cytogenetic study of a large black kindred: inversions, heteromorphisms, and segregation analysis

Q-and C-band heteromorphisms were determined by sequentially staining cells from 81 members of an American Black kindred. The incidence of heteromorphs is reported for 14 people who married into the family. Small pericentric inversions of chromosome 3 were found in 23 kindred members, three of whom were homozygous. Six 'complete' chromosome 9 inversions and a single 'partial' inv9 were detected. there was no apparent phenotypic effect associated with the inversions, nor were duplication-deficiency chromosomes observed. Evidence for preferential segregation of Q-heteromorphs is reported, and comparison with data from other authors points to chromosome 13 as showing the most distortion.