ASSIGNMENT OF HUMAN MYCN PROTOONCOGENE TO CHROMOSOME BAND 12Q24 IN HIGHER PRIMATES

Controversies concerning the reduction of chromosome number from 48 to 46 in humans by putative fusion of two ape chromosomes still persist. Nevertheless, abundant evidence suggests that human chromosome 2 was derived by fusion. Consequently, the recent availability of the human MYCN gene probe which was localized to 2p24.3 facilitated our search f or its location in the human equivalent chromosome(s) of chimpanzee (P an troglodytes), gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) and orangutan (Pongo pygmae us). In all three species, the human MYCN gene was localized to the lo ng arm of chromosome 12 band 12q24 which is the corresponding band equ ivalent of the short arm of human chromosome 2. The conservation of MY CN gene in higher primates at the equivalent chromosome locus that cor responds to that of the human provides additional prevailing view towa rds tracing the evolutionary pathways concerning the origin of chromos ome 2, though we recognize that there are conceptual problems concerni ng human descent.