Reconstruction of the female Gorilla gorilla karyotype using 25-color FISH and multicolor banding (MCB).

The origin of the human and great ape chromosomes has been studied by comparative chromosome banding analysis and, more recently, by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), using human whole-chromosome painting probes. It is not always possible, however, to determine the exact breakpoints and distribution or orientation of specific DNA regions using these techniques. To overcome this problem, the recently developed multicolor banding (MCB) probe set for all human chromosomes was applied in the present study to reanalyze the chromosomes of Gorilla gorilla (GGO). While the results agree with those of most previous banding and FISH studies, the breakpoints for the pericentric inversion on GGO 3 were defined more precisely. Moreover, no paracentric inversion was found on GGO 14, and no pericentric inversions could be demonstrated on GGO 16 or 17. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel