Abstract
ACCORDING to Lyon's hypothesis1,2, one of the two X-chromosomes in each XX cell of the normal human female and perhaps in all mammalian females is genetically inactivated at a certain stage of embryogenesis. This inactive X chromosome becomes condensed or heteropycnotic and forms the sex chromatin. Inactivation is presumed to occur at random. The heteropycnotic X can thus be either maternal or paternal in origin. Ohno and Cattanach3 have recently provided direct cytological evidence of this in the mouse. In the skin of animals with a variegated phenotype due to a translocation of the wild-type allele of a coat colour gene to the X chromosome (Xt), the wild-type patches of skin were populated by cells containing a condensed inactive chromosome (presumably the normal X). Mutant-type patches from the same animal contained cells in which a visibly larger chromosome, presumably the Xt, was heteropycnotic.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lyon, M. F., Nature, 190, 373 (1961).
Lyon, M. F., Amer. J. Human Genet., 14, 135 (1962).
Ohno, S., and Cattanach, B. M., Cytogenetics, 1, 129 (1962).
Jacobs, P. A., Harndon, D. G., Buckton, K. E., Court-Brown, W. M., King, M. L., McBride, J. A., MacGregor, T. N., and MacLean, N., Lancet, i, 1183 (1961).
Miller, O. J., Mukherjee, B. B., and Bader, S., Presented at the Meeting of Biological Societies, Corvallis, Oregon, August, 1962, AIBS Bull., 12, 75 (1962).
Naujoks, H., Miller, O. J., and Mukherjee, B. B. (unpublished results).
German, J. L., Trans. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 24, 395 (1962).
Morishima, A., Grumbach, M. M., and Taylor, J. H., Proc. U.S. Nat. Acad. Sci., 48, 756 (1962).
Moorhead, P. S., and Defendi, V., J. Cell Biol., 16, 202 (1963).
Gilbert, C. W., Muldal, S., Lajtha, L. G., and Rowley, J., Nature, 195, 869 (1962).
Bader, S., Miller, O. J., and Mukherjee, B. B., Exp. Cell Res., 31, 100 (1963).
Rowley, J., Muldal, S., Gilbert, C. W., Lajtha, L. G., Linsten, J., Fraccaro, M., and Kaijser, K., Nature, 197, 251 (1963).
Mukherjee, B. B., Miller, O. J., Breg, W. R., and Bader, S., Exp. Cell Res. (in the press).
Moorhead, P. S., Nowell, P. C., Mellman, W. J., Batipps, D. M., and Hungerford, D. A., Exp. Cell Res., 20, 613 (1960).
Muldal, S., Gilbert, C. W., Lajtha, L. G., Lindsten, J., Rowley, J., and Fraccaro, M., Lancet, i, 861 (1963).
Gianelli, F., Lancet, i, 863 (1963).
Grumbach, M. M., Morishima, A., and Taylor, J. H., Proc. U.S. Nat. Acad. Sci., 49, 581 (1963).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MILLER, O., MUKHERJEE, B., BADER, S. et al. Autoradiographic Studies of X-chromosome Duplication in an XO/X-isochromosome X Mosaic Human Female. Nature 200, 918–919 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/200918a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/200918a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
