Abstract
We have employed the differential staining technique of F. Arrighi and T. C. Hsu (1971) to identify individual human chromosomes. After pretreatment with RNAase, the DNA is denatured with NAOH, renatured with saline citrate buffer and then stained with Giemsa. Our studies have shown that in addition to the most distinct densely staining area of the distal 273 of the long arm of the Y chromosome, the Nos. 1, 3, 9, 11, 16 and 17 chromosomes carry a densely staining area on the long arm adjacent to the centromere, most noticeable in No. 1; No. 18 has a densely staining area on the short arm, close to the centromere. Studies of patients with trisomy 21 and trisomy 13 demonstrated that chromosomes No. 21 and 13 are identifiable. The three No. 21 chromosomes showed densely stained centromeres and two Nos. 22 showed lightly stained centromeres. The three No. 13 chromosomes in trisomy 13 had dense staining at the centromeres and on the long arms in comparison to those of Nos. 14 or 15. The basis of this differential staining technique is that renatured DNA appears better able to combine with stain than partially denatured DNA. It is apparently the repetitive DNA associated with constitutive heterochromatin which renatures most rapidly and is stained most densely. This method may be very useful in identification of structural as well as numerical chromosomal aberrations.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chernay, P., Hsu, L. & Hirschhorn, K. Human chromosome identification by differential staining. Pediatr Res 5, 424 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00221
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00221