Dicentric chromosome
Encyclopedia
Dicentric chromosome is an aberrant chromosome
having two centromere
s. Dicentric chromosomes form when two chromosome segments (from different chromosomes or from the two chromatids of a single one), each with a centromere, fuse end to end, with loss of their acentric fragments. Dicentrics, despite their two centromeres, may be mitotically stable if one of the two centromeres is inactivated, or if the two centromeres always coordinate their movement to one or the other pole during anaphase. Such chromosomes are formally called pseudodicentric. The most common pseudodicentrics involve the sex chromosomes or the acrocentric chromosomes (Robertsonian translocation
). Evaluation of centromere function by FISH
combined with immunofluorescence analysis of centromere and kinetochore
proteins is a specialized procedure in some clinical cytogenetics
laboratories.
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
having two centromere
Centromere
A centromere is a region of DNA typically found near the middle of a chromosome where two identical sister chromatids come closest in contact. It is involved in cell division as the point of mitotic spindle attachment...
s. Dicentric chromosomes form when two chromosome segments (from different chromosomes or from the two chromatids of a single one), each with a centromere, fuse end to end, with loss of their acentric fragments. Dicentrics, despite their two centromeres, may be mitotically stable if one of the two centromeres is inactivated, or if the two centromeres always coordinate their movement to one or the other pole during anaphase. Such chromosomes are formally called pseudodicentric. The most common pseudodicentrics involve the sex chromosomes or the acrocentric chromosomes (Robertsonian translocation
Robertsonian translocation
Robertsonian translocation is a common form of chromosomal rearrangement that in humans occurs in the five acrocentric chromosome pairs, namely 13, 14, 15, 21, and 22. Other translocations occur but do not lead to a viable fetus. They are named after the American biologist William Rees Brebner...
). Evaluation of centromere function by FISH
Fluorescent in situ hybridization
FISH is a cytogenetic technique developed by biomedical researchers in the early 1980s that is used to detect and localize the presence or absence of specific DNA sequences on chromosomes. FISH uses fluorescent probes that bind to only those parts of the chromosome with which they show a high...
combined with immunofluorescence analysis of centromere and kinetochore
Kinetochore
The kinetochore is the protein structure on chromatids where the spindle fibers attach during cell division to pull sister chromatids apart....
proteins is a specialized procedure in some clinical cytogenetics
Cytogenetics
Cytogenetics is a branch of genetics that is concerned with the study of the structure and function of the cell, especially the chromosomes. It includes routine analysis of G-Banded chromosomes, other cytogenetic banding techniques, as well as molecular cytogenetics such as fluorescent in situ...
laboratories.