Wines D R, Henikoff S
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98104.
Genetics. 1992 Jul;131(3):683-91. doi: 10.1093/genetics/131.3.683.
A mitotically unstable chromosome, detectable because of mosaic expression of marker genes, was generated by X-ray mutagenesis in Drosophila. Nondisjunction of this chromosome is evident in mitotic chromosome preparations, and premature sister chromatid separation is frequent. The mosaic phenotype is modified by genetic elements that are thought to alter chromatin structure. We hypothesize that the mitotic defects result from a breakpoint deep in the pericentric heterochromatin, within or very near to the DNA sequences essential for centromere function. This unique chromosome may provide a tool for the genetic and molecular dissection of a higher eukaryotic centromere.
通过X射线诱变在果蝇中产生了一条有丝分裂不稳定的染色体,由于标记基因的嵌合表达而可被检测到。在有丝分裂染色体标本中,这条染色体的不分离现象很明显,并且姐妹染色单体过早分离的情况很常见。这种嵌合表型会被认为能改变染色质结构的遗传元件所修饰。我们推测,有丝分裂缺陷是由着丝粒周围异染色质深处、着丝粒功能所必需的DNA序列内部或非常接近该序列的一个断点导致的。这条独特的染色体可能为高等真核生物着丝粒的遗传和分子剖析提供一种工具。