2. Chromosomes (2) Flashcards
What is a karyotype? (5)
▣ A karyotype is an individual’s collection of
chromosomes
▣ It is the number and appearance of chromosomes in
the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell
▣ Look at length, position of centromeres, and
banding patterns
▣ Look for differences from “normal”
▣ It involves the isolation, staining and visual
examination of chromosomes
What are the advantages of a Karyotype? (4)
- Detect large numerical and structural abnormalities
- Able to visualise all of the chromosomes in a single test
- Can detect balanced and unbalanced chromosome rearrangements
- Can detect mosaicism
What are the disadvantages of a Karyotype? (7)
- Requires fresh tissue
- Time consuming
- Must be done on cultured cells
- Can’t detect small deletions/duplications/
rearrangements - Can’t identify marker chromosome origins
- Can’t identify single gene defects
- Accuracy depends on experience of the
cytogeneticist
QF-PCR
▣ Quantitative Fluorescence-Polymerase Chain Reaction
▣ Detection of common aneuploidies: (5)
□ Trisomy 13
□ Trisomy 18
□ Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
□ Turner syndrome (45, X)
□ Klinefelter syndrome (47, XXY
QF-PCR
▣ Uses markers on chromosomes: (5)
13, 18, 21, X and Y
QF-PCR
▣ Utilises _______ that target specific short tandem repeats (STRs) on Chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y.
▣ PCR _______ generates products that differ in length depending on the number of repeats
▣ TAT ± 2-3 days
primers
amplification
QF-PCR advantages: (3)
- Quick turnaround time
- Cheap test
- Does not require cells to be cultured
QF-PCR disadvantages: (3)
- Limited to only detect common aneuploidies
- Not designed to detect structural abnormalities
- Mosaicism may be missed
What is FISH? (6)
▣ Fluorescent in-situ hybridisation
▣ Detects small deletions/duplications which are not visible by karyotype
▣ Molecular cytogenetic method used to detect and localize the presence or absence of specific regions on
chromosomes
▣ Fluorescent probes hybridise to specific regions on the chromosome
▣ Allows us to detect micro-deletions and duplications but you need to know what you are looking for to know which
probes to use.
▣ Can detect rearrangements of chromosome
What are the advantages of FISH? (3)
- Greater resolution than Karyotype- can detect microdeletions and duplications
- Can detect structural rearrangements
- Can detect balanced rearrangement
What are the disadvantages of FISH? (3)
- Targeted approach- need to know what you are looking for
- Need to design probe specific to region of interest
- Usually reserved for detection of common microdeletion and duplication syndromes
What is MLPA? (6)
MLPA advantages: (2)
- Better resolution than karyotype - can detect microdeletion and duplication syndromes
- Does not require cells to be cultured
MLPA disadvantages: (3)
- Will miss regions of chromosome not covered by probes
- Cannot detect balanced chromosome rearrangements
- Cannot visualise chromosomes and can therefore not always elucidate mechanism of rearrangement
Which method has the highest resolution?
Microarray
▣ 2 different types:
□ Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) array
□ Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arra
What is a microarray? (3)
▣ High resolution test
▣ Assesses chromosomal gains and losses
▣ Looks at all chromosomes at once