Banding patterns in human glioma cell lines

Abstract

G- and C-banding techniques were employed in studies of 2 diploid-near-diploid and 2 near-triploid established glioma cell lines. The origin of the marker chromosomes (their number ranging from 5 to 11) included in the stemline karyotypes could be almost completely clarified. The present results and those in 3 previously studied glioma cell lines were combined in order to characterize the banding patterns in astrocytic gliomas. An analysis of the chromosomal representation revealed a karyotypic profile distinguished by an increased proportion of chromosomes Nos. 7 and 19, and a reduction of chromosomes Nos. 4 and 22 and most likely also Nos. 10 and 12. Three different types of recurrent marker chromosomes were observed: A marker 12q- with an interstitial long-arm deletion was seen in 2 cell lines; a marker 13q- with a distal long-arm deletion occurred in 2 cell lines; a marker 14q- with a distal long-arm deletion was found in 3 cell lines. A study. of the distribution of breakpoints (as deduced from banding analyses of all different marker types found in all cell lines) showed a preferential involvement of certain chromosome types and also a clustering of the breakpoints in certain regions of several chromosome types. The numerical and structural observations in the glioma cell lines were interpreted as indicating the existence of several, possibly many, different karyotypic patterns in this type of neoplasm; the similarities between different cell lines were assumed to be related to their origin from the same tissue type rather than to any other factor, as for example the oncogenic agent(s).