FISHing for acrocentric associations between chromosomes 14 and 21 in human oogenesis.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to search for cytologic evidence of robertsonian translocation formation that involves chromosomes 14q and 21q in human oogenesis with the use of dual color fluorescent in situ hybridization with whole chromosome paints.

STUDY DESIGN

The oocytes from a chromosomally normal fetus at 23.5 weeks of gestation underwent cohybridization with chromosome specific DNA libraries from chromosomes 14 and 21. The nuclei were scored for the proportion of meiosis I prophase substages and for hybridization efficiency and were evaluated for the presence of hybridization signals that were suggestive of heterologous associations between chromosomes 14q and 21q in zygotene, pachytene, and diplotene.

RESULTS

A total of 1769 meiotic nuclei were analyzed. Of 272 informative nuclei at zygotene, pachytene, and diplotene, 1 nucleus at pachytene demonstrated hybridization signals for chromosomes 14 and 21 that could be consistent with a robertsonian translocation.

CONCLUSION

A heterologous association between chromosomes 14q and 21q that possibly represent robertsonian translocation formation was observed cytologically with the use of fluorescent in situ hybridization.