Expression of human and suppression of mouse nucleolus organizer activity in mouse human somatic cell hybrids

  • O. J. Miller
  • , D. A. Miller
  • , V. G. Dev
  • , R. Tantravahi
  • , C. M. Croce

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

332 Scopus citations

Abstract

Most mouse human somatic cell hybrids show preferential loss of human chromosomes, absence of human 28S ribosomal RNA, and suppression of human nucleolus organizer activity, as visualized by the Ag AS silver histochemical stain. In contrast, the mouse human hybrids studied here show preferential loss of mouse chromosomes. The hybrids were made by fusion of HT 1080 6TG human fibrosarcoma cells with BALB/c mouse peritoneal macrophages or strain 129 mouse teratocarcinoma cells. The Ag AS staining method shows nucleolus organizer activity of chromosomes 13, 14, 15, 21 (rarely), and 22 in the human parent and chromosomes 12, 15, 16 (rarely), and 18 in the BALB/c mouse parent. In the hybrid cells the human nucleolus organizer regions are active, as shown by Ag AS staining and involvement in 'satellite association'. The mouse nucleolus organizer regions are not stained by the Ag AS method even though mouse chromosomes 12, 15, and 18 are present in the BALB/c hybrids and at least one copy of each mouse chromosome is present in the teratocarcinoma derived hybrids. Thus, in these mouse human hybrids, unlike those that lose human chromosomes, only human nucleolus organizer activity is expressed, and mouse nucleolus organizer activity is suppressed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4531-4535
Number of pages5
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume73
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 1976

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