image: This is a microarray analysis of end-to-end chromosome fusions isolated from nematode worm strains deficient for telomerase revealed complex chromosome rearrangements. While a control nematode worm lacked fusions and duplications (top left, red and blue chromosomes), fusion of chromosomes can result in simple uninterrupted duplications consistent with breakage-fusion-bridge events (top right, red and green chromosomes). However, more frequently, DNA synthesis-based events such as telomere recombination generated genomic duplications punctuated by deletions, triplications, and other features inconsistent with a breakage-fusion-bridge model (bottom). This image relates to an article that appeared in the April 22, 2011, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Mia Rochelle Lowden, at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, was titled, "DNA Synthesis Generates Terminal Duplications That Seal End-to-End Chromosome Fusions." view more
Credit: Image © <i>Science</i>/AAAS