NUCLEAR ARCHITECTURE AND THE INDUCTION OF CHROMOSOMAL-ABERRATIONS

Progress in fluorescence in situ hybridization, three dimensional micr oscopy and image analysis has provided the means to study the three-di mensional structure and distribution of chromosome territories within the cell nucleus. In this contribution, we summarize the present state of knowledge of the territorial organization of interphase chromosome s and their topological relationships with other macromolecular domain s in the human cell nucleus, and present data from computer simulation s of chromosome territory distributions. On this basis, we discuss mod els of chromosome territory and nuclear architecture and topological c onsequences for the formation of chromosome exchanges.