Use of a centromere-specific DNA probe (p82H) in nonisotopic in situ hybridization for classification of micronuclei.

The DNA probe p82H was used to visualize centromeric DNA in micronuclei (MN) of human cells. Slides prepared from cultures treated by the aneugen (causing aneuploidy) colcemid showed significantly more MN with centromeric signals than those treated by the clastogen (causing chromosome breakage) bleomycin. These results indicate that in situ hybridization with the alphoid p82H DNA probe is a suitable method with which to distinguish between MN containing whole chromosomes and acentric fragments, and hence allows one to discriminate between the clastogenic and aneugenic effects in MN formation.