Reconstruction of genomic rearrangements in great apes and gibbons by chromosome painting

The homology between hylobatid chromosomes and other primates has
long remained elusive. We used chromosomal in situ suppression
hybridization of all human chromosome-specific DNA libraries to
"paint" the chromosomes of primates and establish homologies
between the human, great ape (chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan),
and gibbon karyotypes (Hylobates lar species group, 2n = 44). The
hybridization patterns unequivocally demonstrate the high degree of
chromosomal homology and synteny of great ape and human
chromosomes. Relative to human, no translocations were detected in
great apes, except for the well-known fusion-origin of human
chromosome 2 and a 5;17 translocation in the gorilla. In contrast,
numerous translocations were detected that have led to the massive
reorganization of the gibbon karyotype: the 22 autosomal human
chromosomes have been divided into 51 elements to compose the 21
gibbon autosomes. Molecular cytogenetics promises to finally allow
hylobatids to be integrated into the overall picture of chromosomal
evolution in the primates.