Abstract
Genomic instability tends to occur at specific genomic regions known as common fragile sites (FS). FS are evolutionarily conserved and generally involve late replicating regions with AT-rich sequences. The possible correlation between some FS and cancer-related breakpoints emphasizes on the importance of understanding the mechanisms of chromosomal instability at these sites. Although about 230 FS have already been mapped cytogenetically, only a few of them have been characterized on a molecular level. In this chapter, we provide a protocol for mapping of common FS using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes in fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and suggest the usage of lymphocytes from Fanconi anemia patients as a model system. In the latter, rare FS are expressed much more frequently than in, for example, aphidicolin-induced blood lymphocyte preparations. Knowing the exact location of FS enables the molecular comparison of their location and breakpoints that appear during evolution, cancer development and inherited disorders.
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