Cattanach's translocation: cytological characterization by quinacrine mustard staining

Abstract

Metaphase chromosomes of mice carrying Cattanach's translocation, which is the deletion of material from a medium-sized autosome and its insertion into an X chromosome, were stained with quinacrine mustard. Comparison of the fluorescence patterns of these chromosomes with those of the chromosomes of normal mice has allowed the identification of the autosome involved in the translocation and localization of the transposed material within the X chromosome. Since the material inserted into the X chromosome in Cattanach's translocation is known to carry part of linkage group I, we are now able to assign linkage group I to a specific chromosome pair of the normal fluorescent karyotype of the mouse.