Heterochromatin (C bands) in bovine chromosomes

Metaphase chromosomes from cattle leukocytes were stained for constitutive heterochromatin. It was possible to demonstrate heterochromatin in the centromere regions of the autosomes but not of the X chromosome. The short arm and the centromere region of the Y chromosome were more faintly stained than the centromere regions of the autosomes. The staining pattern of the centromere regions of the autosomes together with the segregation of the centromere block in anaphase indicate that bovine autosomes may be telocentric and not arcrocentric. The heterochromatin patterns of man, mouse and cattle are compared.