Chromosome-specific paints from a high-resolution flow karyotype of the dog

Using peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures and dual-laser flow cytometry, we have routinely obtained high-resolution bivariate flow karyotypes of the dog in which 32 peaks are resolved. To allow the identification of the chromosome types in each peak, chromosomes were flow sorted, amplified and labelled by polymerase chain reaction with partially degenerate primers and hybridized onto metaphase spreads of a male dog. The chromosome paints from 22 of the 32 peaks each hybridized to single homologue pairs and eight peaks each hybridized to two pairs. Paints from the remaining two peaks hybridized to only one homologue each in the male metaphase spread, thus corresponding to the sex chromosomes X and Y. All of the 38 pairs of autosomes and the two sex chromosomes of the dog could be accounted for in these painting experiments. The positions of chromosomes 1-21 were assigned to the flow karyotype (only chromosomes 1-21 have as yet been officially designated). The high-resolution flow karyotype and the chromosome paints will facilitate further standardization of the dog karyotype. The ability to sort sufficient quantities of dog chromosomes for the production of chromosome-specific DNA libraries has the potential to accelerate the physical and genetic mapping of the dog genome.