Description of chromosome banding patterns by band transition sequences

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Abstract
For visual and automated analysis of banded human chromosomes, the band pattern features of chromosome profiles considered essential for the cytogeneticist were evaluated. These features were related to each peak (dark band) and its adjacent valley (light band) in the direction p-q. A method for extracting and describing these features was developed and implemented on a computer. The method determines 3 normalized parameters for each peak and adjacent valley: density of peak; density difference (transition) between peak and valley; and position of peak. Each profile is described by a simple sequence of band transitions (BT-sequence). The BT-sequence was visualized as a profile (BT-profile) using only the information retained in the BT-sequence. Visual classification of BT-profiles shows error rates comparable to visual classification of ordinary density profiles (Lundsteen and Granum 1979). The BT-profiles do retain the important band pattern features of the profiles, and it is supposed that the simple and condensed BT-sequences constitute an appropriate basis for automated karyotyping.