A jumping Robertsonian translocation; a molecular and cytogenetic study

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · American Journal of Human Genetics

OSTI ID:133737

Park, V M; Gross, S J; Tharapel, A T ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Tennessee, Memphis, TN (United States); and others

Lejeune et al. were the first to use the term {open_quotes}translocation sauteuse{close_quotes} or jumping translocation to describe mosaicism due to the presence of multiple structural rearrangements. In this study, we report the cytogenetic and molecular analyses of a patient with mosaicism for two different Robertsonian translocations, both involving chromosome 21. The proband`s karyotype based on lymphocyte cultures is 45,XX,t(21q22q)/46,XX,-21,+i(21q21q) (98%/2%). Chromosome analysis of skin fibroblasts showed 100% of cells with a 45,XX,t(21q22q) complement. A high level of mosaicism was seen in an ovarian biopsy, where 1/3 of cells exhibited the unbalanced cell line with the 21/21 rearrangement. The proband`s pregnancy history is consistent with the high proportion of the 21/21 rearrangement in her ovary. She has had spontaneous abortions and two livebirths, both of whom are affected with Down syndrome [46,XX,-21,+i(21q21q) and 46,XY,-21,+i(21q21q)]. Analysis of cord blood cultures showed that the second child exhibits low level mosaicism for a normal cell line, which further suggests instability of the 21/21 rearrangement. FISH with alphoid probes showed that the 21/21 and 21/22 rearrangements are dicentric and that each long arm segment retains its appropriate centromere. Segregation studies using microsatellite polymorphisms indicated that the 21/21 rearrangement is an isochromosome. The same technique was used to establish that the proband`s rearrangements formed de novo from her mother`s chromosome 21. An uncommon chromosome 22p polymorphism is maternally derived and is present in the proband`s unbalanced cell line. However, this 22 is absent in the balanced 45,XX,t(21q22q) cell line of the proband because it is involved in the translocation. Therefore, we propose a model in which the i(21q) was the progenitor rearrangement and participated in subsequent nonreciprocal rearrangements characteristic of a jumping translocation.

• OSTI ID: 133737
• Report Number(s): CONF-941009--
• Journal Information: American Journal of Human Genetics, Journal Name: American Journal of Human Genetics Journal Issue: Suppl.3 Vol. 55; ISSN AJHGAG; ISSN 0002-9297
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
CENTROMERES
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
DICENTRIC CHROMOSOMES
DNA HYBRIDIZATION
DOWNS SYNDROME
FLUORESCENCE
HEREDITARY DISEASES
HUMAN CHROMOSOME 21
HUMAN CHROMOSOME 22
INSTABILITY
KARYOTYPE
MOSAICISM
PATIENTS
PROBES