Characterization of a simian virus 40-transformed Fanconi anemia fibroblast cell line

We have characterized a SV40-transformed human fibroblast cell line (GM6914) derived from a patient with Fanconi anemia (FA) in order to establish its usefulness for biochemical and genetic experiments, including DNA-mediated gene transfer. GM6914 cells have a growth rate similar to that of SV40-transformed normal human fibroblasts and an indefinite lifespan in culture. As has been established for other FA cell types, GM6914 cells have an increased sensitivity to DNA-crosslinking agents such as mitomycin C (MMC). The D10 for GM6914 cells is 8 times lower than for equivalent controls. GM6914 cells also have an elevated frequency of spontaneous chromosome aberrations and this frequency can be increased by MMC concentrations which show no effect on control cells. Genetic complementation studies with lymphoblasts derived from two affected sibs of the donor of GM6914 cells show that GM6914 belongs to FA complementation group A. In DNA-transfection studies using plasmid pRSVneo, colonies of GM6914 cells resistant to the drug G-418 were observed at frequencies ranging from 1.7 to 16 X 10(-4), values similar to those observed with several other SV40-transformed human cell lines. GM6914 should be a useful recipient cell line in experiments using DNA-mediated gene transfer to clone the normal allele of the gene which is defective in FA complementation group A. GM6914 would also be an excellent cell line for studies on mutagenesis, recombination and repair using plasmid vectors.