title: The presence of amplified regions affects the stability of chromosomes in drug-resistant Chinese hamster cells.
abstract: The stability of chromosomes carrying amplified CAD (carbamyl phosphate synthetase-aspartate transcarbamylase-dihydroorotase) or DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) genes was studied in V79 Chinese hamster cell derivatives resistant to PALA (N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate) and MTX (methotrexate), respectively. Cells were maintained in the presence of the selective drugs during the study. In both metaphase chromosomes and interphase nuclei, amplified regions were localized by in situ hybridization. In MTX-resistant cells, the amplification-bearing chromosome moved sluggishly at anaphase and gave rise to bud-shaped formations in interphase nuclei. It is suggested that these buds could eventually separate as micronuclei. In both MTX- and PALA-resistant cells, amplified DNA was observed in micronuclei in interphase and in displaced chromosomes in metaphase. Finally, amplification-bearing dicentric chromosomes were found in both drug-resistant cell lines. Cumulatively, these observations indicate that the presence of the amplified region in a chromosome renders it unstable: chromosomes bearing an amplified region tended to be excluded from cells, and rearrangements were more frequent than in normal chromosomes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Mutagenesis, IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miele
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonatti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Menichini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ottaggio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbondandolo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D001221:Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D002223:Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase (Glutamine-Hydrolyzing) / Q000235:genetics; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004080:Dihydroorotase / Q000235:genetics; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D005784:Gene Amplification; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000235:genetics; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; C033626:CAD trifunctional enzyme; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C013195:sparfosic acid; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase; D001221:Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase; D004080:Dihydroorotase; D002223:Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase (Glutamine-Hydrolyzing); D010746:Phosphonoacetic Acid; D008727:Methotrexate