IDENTIFICATION OF TRISOMY IN MACACA-FASCICULARIS BY FLUORESCENCE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION WITH A HUMAN-CHROMOSOME-13 DNA LIBRARY

A juvenile macaque monkey with abnormal phenotypic and behavioral feat ures was studied cytogenetically. An additional autosome was found in over 90% of the animal's cultured cells. This chromosome, subsequently identified as number 16 in the macaque karyotype by G-banding, was sh own to be mostly homologous with human chromosome 13 using fluorescenc e in situ hybridization of a human chromosome specific cosmid library. Although the monkey, now deceased, exhibited some abnormal physical a nd behavioral features, none of the severe clinical characteristics as sociated with human chromosome 13 trisomy were apparent. We suggest th at the incomplete expression of 13-trisomy observed could result if th e macaque chromosome were deficient in some of the region(s) of chromo some 13 common to humans affected with the disorder.