A fluorescence in situ hybridization map of human chromosome 21 consisting of 30 genetic and physical markers on the chromosome: localization of 137 additional YAC and cosmid clones with respect to this map.

A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) map of human chromosome 21 was compiled using yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) DNA probes that encode 28 markers physically and/or genetically mapped on the chromosome. Probes that recognize the centromere and rDNA repeat sequences in the p arm were also placed as reference markers on the FISH map. For each probe, the location of the fluorescence hybridization signal was measured on metaphase chromosomes with respect to fractional chromosome length (FL) from p-ter. The location of the markers was established with a standard error of +/- 1.9 Mb using from 9 to 63 FL measurements for each probe. The relative order and separation of the markers as determined by FISH are shown to correspond well to those of other maps of the chromosome. Fifty-one additional YAC and 86 cosmid clones were also localized by FISH with respect to the 30 markers on the chromosome. The cosmids, chosen at random from a flow-sorter chromosome 21 cosmid library, show some biases in chromosome distribution.