title: Can genetic instability be studied at the single chromosome level in cancer cells? Evidence from human melanoma cells.
abstract: We evaluated whether genetic instability, which is the hallmark of cancer cells, can be investigated at the single chromosomal level. We established in culture and examined a human malignant melanoma cell line and its 11 distinct clones as well as peripheral blood cultures from the original patient by G-banding, C-banding, and silver-staining (AgNOR) techniques. There were six marker chromosomes common to most of the 11 clones and eight or nine additional marker chromosomes found in only one or in very few clones. Chromosome 1 had a pericentric inversion in the C-banded region in both the tumor and the lymphocyte metaphase spreads. This same homologue was also involved in the formation of one of the shared marker chromosomes; this marker, in turn, was rearranged to form two unique markers in one clone. Our findings suggest that genetic instability can be studied at the single chromosome level. Moreover, this study further supports our earlier contention that peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures can show chromosomal lesions that are stable markers in cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Romsdahl
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Multani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pathak
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D007446:Chromosome Inversion; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D002999:Clone Cells; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured