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Cytogenetic study demonstrates selective staining of centromeric constitutive heterochromatin in human chromosomes, highlighting differential DNA denaturation properties.
Heterochromatic regions in chromosomes of man, mainly at the centromeric areas, can be demonstrated with consistency using a special staining procedure. This procedure includes treatments of cytological preparations with HCl, RNase, NaOH (denaturing DNA), and renaturing DNA in a saline citrate solution at 65°C. The heterochromatic regions can be observed after staining with Giemsa. These regions are believed to be composed of constitutive heterochromatin. Facultative heterochromatin regions, e.g., the repressed X in female cells, do not respond to this series of treatments.
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Arrighi et al. (2008) studied this question.
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