Association of centrioles and chromosomes observed in preparations of whole-mounted human chromosomes.

Pairs of centrioles are a frequent finding in whole-mounted, critical-point-dried chromosome preparations from normal and irradiated human lymphocyte cultures. Most frequently they are found in association with a group C chromosome, although apparently free diplosomes are not uncommon. Fibers that in every respect are the morphologic equivalent of those seen in the body of the chromatid connect to the thick-walled open-ended part of the parent centriole. These features argue for the possibility that fibers connecting centrioles are an integral part of nuclear or chromosomal chromatin. It was observed that the smaller (daughter) centriole was connected and held in the well-known angular configuration to the thick-walled opne end of the parent centriole by a few, probably only two, colchine-resistant fibers.