The X chromosomes of mammals: karylogical homology as revealed by banding techniques.

A comparison of the Giemsa-banding patterns of the X chromosomes in various mammalian species including man indicates that two major bands (A and B), which are resistant to trypsin and urea-treatments, are always present irrespective of the gross morphology of the X chromosomes. This is true in all mammalian species with the "original or standard type" X chromosomes (5-6% of the haploid genome) thus far analyzed. In the unusually large-sized X chromosomes the extra chromosomal material may be due either to the addition of genetically inert constitutive heterochromatin or to an X-autosome translocation. In these X chromosomes two major bands are present in the actual X-chromosome segment. Our data on C and G band patterns also support Ohno's hypothesis that the mammalian X chromosome is extremely conservative in its genetic content, in spite of its cytogenetic variability.