Arm-specific multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization reveals widespread chromosomal instability in glioma cell lines.
An investigation of numerical and structural chromosome aberrations using chromosome arm-specific multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (armFISH) revealed considerable genetic heterogeneity among and within 11 glioma cell lines. Despite the substantial variation in numerical chromosome alterations among the cell lines, several distinct and glioma growth-associated losses or gains were frequently observed, that is, losses of chromosomes 10, 13, and 22 and gain of chromosome 7 in particular. Structural aberrations frequently affected chromosomes 1, 4, 7, 16, and 19; however, no single structural chromosome aberration common to all or even several glioma cell lines could be found. Structural alterations were often multiform, and a large variety of unstable chromosome structures were detected. Two of the cell lines also harbored small marker chromosomes containing mainly heterochromatin and chromosomal insertions within hetero-chromatic regions. Altogether, the armFISH provides a versatile tool for the identification of chromosomal aberrations as well as their formation patterns in tumors with a complex genome at the level of chromosome arms.
Sallinen
Satu-Leena
SL
Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, P.O. Box 2000, FIN-33521 Tampere, Finland.
Sallinen
Pauli
P
Ahlstedt-Soini
Minna
M
Haapasalo
Hannu
H
Helin
Heikki
H
Isola
Jorma
J
Karhu
Ritva
R
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D007621:Karyotyping; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured