Diagrammatic representation for chromosomal mutagenesis studies. IV. Radiation-induced rearrangements in Ateles sp. (Primate, Platyrhini).

In order to study the induction of rearrangements by gamma-rays in relation to chromosomal size and morphology, experiments were conducted in an Ateles, a species with a rather unusual karyotype among primates. It possesses some very large chromosomes, which tend to be too rarely affected, especially by intrachanges like inversions. Both their large size and their characteristic banding pattern suggest that this low involvement is not due to difficulty of analysis. This suggests very strongly that chromosomal involvement in rearrangements is not a function of size. The possible role of other factors involved in chromosomal rearrangements like chromosome position during interphase are discussed.