Robertsonian translocation

Robertsonian translocation is a common form of chromosomal rearrangement that in humans occurs in the five acrocentric chromosome pairs, namely 13, 14, 15, 21, and 22. Other translocations occur but do not lead to a viable foetus. They are named after the American insect geneticist W. R. B. Robertson, who first described a Robertsonian translocation in grasshoppers in 1916. They are also called whole-arm translocations or centric-fusion transloca... more

Robertsonian translocation is a common form of chromosomal rearrangement that in humans occurs in the five acrocentric chromosome pairs, namely 13, 14, 15, 21, and 22. Other translocations occur but do not lead to a viable foetus. They are named after the American insect geneticist W. R. B. Robertson, who first described a Robertsonian translocation in grasshoppers in 1916. They are also called whole-arm translocations or centric-fusion translocations. They are a type of chromosomal translocation. A Robertsonian translocation is a type of non-reciprocal translocation involving two non-homologous chromosomes (ie. two different chromosomes, not belonging to a homologous pair). A feature of chromosomes that are commonly found to undergo such translocations is that they possess an acrocentric centromere, partitioning the chromosome into a large arm containing the vast majority of genes, and a short arm with a much smaller proportion of genetic content. During a Robertsonian translocation,... less