title: Characterization of somatic cell hybrids exhibiting extinction of AFP, albumin and an AFP-HPRT transgene.
abstract: We utilized an AFP-HPRT transgene, i.e. the HPRT coding sequences under the regulation of AFP enhancer and promoter sequences, to localize the AFP extinguisher locus in intertypic somatic cell hybrids (hepatoma X fibroblast). This hybrid gene construct, which directly links AFP regulation to a reversibly selective gene, enabled the selection of stably transfected cells which express AFP, as well as cells showing extinction of AFP. Mouse hepatoma cells stably transfected with and expressing the transgene were fused to human fibroblasts, and the resulting somatic cell hybrids were characterized using Southern, Northern and karyotypic analyses. That several hybrids exhibited the proper extinction of AFP, AFP-HPRT and albumin suggests coregulation of these genes by an extinguisher. Segregant lines derived from these hybrids were selected for the loss of extinguisher activity and for reexpression of the transgene. Karyotypic analysis of hybrid and segregant lines, exhibiting proper AFP, albumin and AFP-HPRT phenotypes, revealed that the presence of human chromosome 7 was most closely associated with the AFP-extinguished state. The hybrids generated in these studies now make it possible to isolate the sequences responsible for AFP and albumin extinction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics, University of Texas, Medical Branch at Galveston 77555, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Keherly
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McCombs
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Merryman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Papaconstantinou
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D002877:Chromosomes, Human; D002897:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D007621:Karyotyping; D051379:Mice; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D014162:Transfection; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D004247:DNA; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase