title: Artificially introduced aneuploid chromosomes assume a conserved position in colon cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chromosomal aneuploidy is a defining feature of carcinomas. For instance, in colon cancer, an additional copy of Chromosome 7 is not only observed in early pre-malignant polyps, but is faithfully maintained throughout progression to metastasis. These copy number changes show a positive correlation with average transcript levels of resident genes. An independent line of research has also established that specific chromosomes occupy a well conserved 3D position within the interphase nucleus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We investigated whether cancer-specific aneuploid chromosomes assume a 3D-position similar to that of its endogenous homologues, which would suggest a possible correlation with transcriptional activity. Using 3D-FISH and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we show that Chromosomes 7, 18, or 19 introduced via microcell-mediated chromosome transfer into the parental diploid colon cancer cell line DLD-1 maintain their conserved position in the interphase nucleus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data is therefore consistent with the model that each chromosome has an associated zip code (possibly gene density) that determines its nuclear localization. Whether the nuclear localization determines or is determined by the transcriptional activity of resident genes has yet to be ascertained.
authors.affiliation: Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kundan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sengupta
authors.forename: Madhvi B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Upender
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barenboim-Stapleton
authors.forename: Quang Tri
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wincovitch
authors.forename: Susan H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Garfield
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Difilippantonio
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ried
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D000782:Aneuploidy; D000818:Animals; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D002888:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19; D002897:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D018628:Gene Dosage; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007399:Interphase; D042581:Intranuclear Space / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014314:Trisomy; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000648:ultrastructure