[New staining methods for chromosome analysis (author's transl)].

The new fluorescent dye D 287/170 selectively stains human heterochromatin in chromosomes 9, 15 and Y. By using the DA-DAPI method the secondary constrictions of chromosomes 1 and 16 are additionally brilliantly stained. Various AT-specific dyes, such as quinacrine mustard or DAPI, show different staining behaviour in these heterochromatic segments. The most likely cause for these diverse results may be found not only in differences in DNA base frequency, but also in base sequence binding of fluorochrome to DNA. The D 287/170 method may prove useful in a variety of investigations such as, for instance, chromosome studies in malignant cells, hybridomas, evolutionary studies and in patients with problematic chromosome aberrations.