Chromosome-mediated gene thnsfer

McBride and Ozer (1) were the first to show that purified metaphase chromosomes could act as vectors in transferring genetic information into mammalian cells. This technique, termed chromosome-mediated gene transfer (CMGT), involves the transfer of subchromosomal fragments from the cells of one species (the donor, usually human) to those of another (the recipient, usually a rodent) that have the ability to maintain them. CMGT thus fills a gap between the isolation of whole chromosomes, produced by cell fusion and microcell-mediated gene transfer, and the isolation of relatively short stretches of DNA by cloning or transfection methods.