Telomere length and telomere-centromere relationships?

The quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) technique enables an accurate estimate of individual telomere lengths, a possibility beyond the resolution of conventional techniques. So far, Q-FISH has been used for the estimate of individual telomere lengths in human, mouse and Chinese hamster chromosomes. This analysis revealed large variations in the size of individual telomeres and a specific intra-chromosomal distribution of telomere lengths, telomeres closer to centromeres appear to be shorter than their counterparts more distant from centromeres. This observation suggests that individual telomere length may be affected by centromere position, a possibility consistent with the theory of chromosome field postulated more than 40 years ago by Lima-de-Faria. The link between the theory of chromosome field and the role of telomere-centromere relationships in the regulation of telomere length is discussed in this article. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.