Two digital fluorescence microscopy systems, spectral karyotyping (SKY) and multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridisation (M-FISH), are used with multicolour probe sets to assist in the detection of chromosome aberrations. We have compared the resolution of the two methods in their ability to identify karyotype rearrangements, which have occurred during the divergence of Homo sapiens and Hylobates leucogenys in evolution. A 24-color human paint kit distinguishes 74 conserved autosomal segments in H. leucogenys, some of which are difficult to resolve. We examined the extent to which the SKY and M-FISH techniques are able to detect the smallest of these bands. We have found this to be a rigorous test of multicolour chromosome classification systems. We conclude from our results that both systems are able invariably to classify the majority of conserved segments but differ in the efficiency of detection of small inserts.
Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.