Chromosomes distribute randomly to, but not within, human neutrophil nuclear lobes

Abstract

The proximity pattern and radial distribution of chromosome territories within spherical nuclei are well understood to be random and non-random, respectively. Whether this distribution pattern is conserved in the partitioned or lobed nuclei of polymorphonuclear cells is unclear. Here we use chromosome paint technology and a novel high-throughput imaging analysis pipeline to examine the chromosome territories of all 46 chromosomes in hundreds of single human neutrophils – an abundant and famously polymorphonuclear immune cell. By comparing the distribution of chromosomes to randomly shuffled controls, and validating with orthogonal chromosome conformation capture technology, we show for the f..