Bends in human mitotic metaphase chromosomes revisited: 15q11-13 is the most frequent non-random autosomal bend in blood cultures

We have investigated the preferential bending of some chromosome sites in b lood cultures from normal and chromosomally abnormal subjects. A total of 2 ,262 centromeric and 2,718 non-centromeric bends were recorded, and 69 non- centromeric sites were found not to bend at random. 15q11-13 bending was fo und to be the most frequent non-random autosomal bend. Bends on chromosomes may be remnants of a folded chromosome state in the nucleus, rand may faci litate the preferential involvement of some chromosomal bands in structural reorganizations such as the isoacentric fragments, or contribute to the hi gh frequency of interstitial deletions and isodicentric inversion duplicati ons involving the 15q11-13 region, (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.