Abstract
In a century of chromosome studies, few aspects of their behaviour have attracted so great, or so continuous, an interest as the question of their spatial distribution. The relevant literature is very large (for different insights see: Ashley 1979; Ashley & Pocock 1981; Avivi & Feldman 1980; Bennett 1982 & 1983; Comings 1968 & 1980; Feldman & Avivi (this volume); Hens et al. 1982; Lacadena et al. 1983; Shchapova 1969; and, Wagenaar 1969) and extends back at least to Pabl’s seminal paper of 1885. Many types of spatial order have been directly observed, or (based on statistical analyses) are claimed to occur. These include notably: (1) a Rabl configuration at interphase; (2) a tendency for nucleoli to fuse so that nucleolar organising chromosomes are non-randomly associated; (3) a tendency for large heterochromatic segments to “stick” together so that heterologues bearing them are non-randomly associated; (4) mitotic (somatic and germ line) association of homologues; (5) spatial separation of haploid and/or parental genomes; and (6) a tendency for a specific chromosome order involving non-random placement of all the heterologues in a nucleus and/or haploid set. There is now a considerable agreement among cytologists that items 1–3 are of wide general occurrence, but there is still no wide concensus regarding the general occurrence or the possible significance of items 4–6.
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© 1984 The Organising Committee of the VIII International Chromosome, Conference, Lübeck
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Bennett, M.D. (1984). Towards a general model for spatial law and order in nuclear and karyotypic architecture. In: Bennett, M.D., Gropp, A., Wolf, U. (eds) Chromosomes Today. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9163-3_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9163-3_18
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