A human artificial chromosome (HAC) is a microchromosome that can act as a new chromosome in a population of human cells. That is, instead of 46 chromosomes, the cell could have 47 with the 47th being very small, roughly 6-10 megabases in size, and able to carry new genes introduced by human researchers. Yeast artificial chromosomes and bacterial artificial chromosomes were created before human artificial chromosomes, which first appeared in 1997. They are useful in expression studies as gene transfer vectors and are a tool for elucidating human chromosome function. Grown in HT1080 cells, they are mitotically and cytogenetically stable for up to six months.

History

Harrington et. al. first described human artificial chromosomes^[1] They were first synthesized by combining portions of alpha satellite DNA with telomeric DNA and genomic DNA into linear microchromosomes.

Applications

In 2011, a refined human artificial chromosome called 21HAC was reported. 21HAC is based on a stripped copy of human chromosome 21, producing a chromosome 5 Mb in length ^[2]. This platform was then used to create integration free pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic stem cells ^[3].

See also

• bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)
• yeast artificial chromosome (YAC)
• plasmid
• cosmid
• fosmid

References

1. ^ Harrington, J. J.; Bokkelen, G. V.; Mays, R. W.; Gustashaw, K.; Willard, H. F. (1997). "Formation of de novo centromeres and construction of first-generation human artificial microchromosomes". Nature Genetics 15 (4): 345–355. doi:10.1038/ng0497-345. PMID 9090378.  edit
2. ^ PMID 21085194 (PubMed)
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3. ^ PMID 21998730 (PubMed)
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