Chromosome distribution in human sperm – a 3D multicolor banding-study

BACKGROUND: Nuclear architecture studies in human sperm are sparse. By now performed ones were practically all done on flattened nuclei. Thus, studies close at the in vivo state of sperm, i.e. on three-dimensionally conserved interphase cells, are lacking by now. Only the position of 14 chromosomes in human sperm was studied. RESULTS: Here for the first time a combination of multicolor banding (MCB) and three-dimensional analysis of interphase cells was used to characterize the position and orientation of all human chromosomes in sperm cells of a healthy donor. The interphase nuclei of human sperm are organized in a non-random way, driven by the gene density and chromosome size. CONCLUSION: Here we present the first comprehensive results on the nuclear architecture of normal human sperm. Future studies in this tissue type, e.g. also in male patients with unexplained fertility problems, may characterize yet unknown mechanisms of infertility.