Trisomy 17 in a bonobo (Pan paniscus) and deletion of 3q in a lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla): comparison with human trisomy 18 and human deletion 4q syndrome.

A female bonobo (Pan paniscus) born at the San Diego Zoo exhibited inability to nurse and progressive weakness plus multiple congenital abnormalities including aural canal atresia and stenosis, malformed auricles, clenched hands, lordosis, agenesis of the caudal vertebra and cardiac abnormalities. Chromosome analysis identified the bonobo as being trisomic for chromosome 17, the homolog of human chromosome 18. Genotyping with human microsatellites suggested the extra chromosome was maternal in origin. In addition, a male lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) , also born at the zoo, exhibited postnatal growth retardation, facial dysmorphisms and small hands with short fingers. Karyotype analysis revealed the gorilla carried a deletion of the distal q arm of chromosome 3, the homolog of human chromosome 4. The phenotypic and karyotypic abnormalities found in the bonobo and gorilla were consistent with the characteristics of human trisomy 18 and human deletion 4q syndrome, respectively. Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]