Marker segregation without chromosome loss at the emt locus in Chinese hamster cell hybrids

Segregation, defined as the reexpression of the recessive phenotype, has been examined in Chinese hamster cell hybrids heterozygous at the recessive emtr locus. Segregants were selected in emetine, and the role of chromosome loss in the segregation process was evaluated by detailed karyotype comparison of segregants with their hybrid parent. In emtr CHO x emt+ CHO hybrids (CHO is thought to be hemizygous at the emt locus), segregants were obtained at high frequency, and no consistent chromosome loss was found in the segregants. In hybrids made with Emtr CHO and wild-type lines other than CHO (CHW,CHL,V-79), where two wild-type alleles are thought to be present in the hybrid, segregants were obtained at much lower frequency, consistent with a two-step segregation process. These segregants revealed consistent loss of one chromosome 2 or deletion of a part of the long arm of a chromosome 2. Thus, one step in segregation seems to be chromosome loss while the other step must have a different mechanism, possibly the same mechanism that operates in the CHO x CHO hybrids. Two major conclusions can be drawn: (1) the emt gene maps to a hemizygous region of the long arm of a chromosome 2 in Chinese hamster, and (2) a segregation mechanism other than chromosome loss appears to operate with high efficiency in intraspecific hybrids.