Centromere organization in chromosomes of the mouse.

The ultrastructure of the centromere region of chromosomes from mouse L929 cells treated with agents that affect centromere condensation have been examined using light, transmission electron, and scanning electron microscopic techniques. Micrographs of expanded centromeres from treated chromosomes illustrate that both the biarmed chromosomes that were generated by Robertsonian fusion during the past history of the strain and the functional centromere of the multicentromeric marker chromosomes display a prominent gap. This gap probably represents the original site of association of the acrocentric chromosomes and is also the site of the kinetochore. Despite the multicentromeric nature of the marker chromosome a single pair of kinetochores were found only at the central heterochromatic region. The functional implications of these structural findings are discussed.