Conventional cytogenetics alone is not sufficient for identifying interspecies cell line contamination

Evidence from our laboratory suggests that conventional chromosome banding analysis alone is not sufficient for detecting interspecies contamination of cell lines. To differentiate noncycling interphase cells of murine or other species origin that may be contaminating a human cell line, molecular cytogenetic techniques such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a total human DNA probe must be used.