The bovine bivariate flow karyotype and peak identification by chromosome painting with PCR-generated probes

A bovine bivariate flow karyotype has been established from a primary fibroblast cell culture carrying a 4;10 Robertsonian translocation. From 27 to 36 populations could be resolved by flow cytometry although the anticipated number was 31. Separation of chromosomal pairs into two populations explains this high resolution and confirms the high level of heteromorphism previously observed. We used a PARM-PCR (Priming Authorizing Random Mismatches) procedure for the production of paint probes from flow-sorted chromosome fractions. These probes were used for chromosome identification by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on R-banded metaphase spreads. We present the localization of all the bovine chromosome types on the flow karyotype. Twenty-two chromosome types including the translocated chromosome were sorted as pure fractions.