Somatic cell hybrids of the Djungarian hamster: malignancy and evolution of the karyotype

Djungarian hamster somatic cell hybrids were obtained by fusing malignant SV40-transformed fibroblasts (line DM15, HGPRT-), and normal male lymphoid cells. Tumorigenicity, growth in soft agar and karyotype changes of 10 independent hybrid clones were studied. All hybrids grew as tumors after injection of new-born hamsters with 1 x 10(6) cells. A total of 313 tumors occurred in 523 hamsters. The hybrids proliferated in soft agar as well. No correlation was noted between the ability of hybrids to grow in vivo and to form colonies in soft agar. The total chromosome number in hybrid cells was usually less than the expected sum of the parental chromosome sets. G-banding analysis showed that, in vitro, hybrids lost chromosomes of the normal parent, whereas marker chromosomes of the malignant parent were retained. In the majority of hybrid tumors the chromosome set was reduced to the diploid range. In tumors with a slightly reduced karyotype one or two homologues of chromosomes #4 and #8 were, as a rule, eliminated.