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Satellite association and nucleolar organizer regions in the elderly

Maria Isabel Melaragno; Maria Helena Kormann-Bortolotto; Manilla de Arruda Cardoso Smith

Disciplina de Genética, Departamento de Morfologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Rua Botucatu, 740, 04023 São Paulo, SP, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Satellite association frequency and positive staining of nucleolar organizer regions in human acrocentric chromosomes both of which are assumed to depend on the presence of functional genes were studied in lymphocyte cultures from a group of newborns and from a group of 70 - 90 year old subjects, by the Ag-staining technique. We found similar frequencies of Ag-positive staining in both groups but a higher frequency of satellite association in the older age group.

Keywords: Satellite association; Nucleolar organizer regions; Elderly.

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