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Very little is known about the genetics of fibrosarcoma (FS) of bone. We applied array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to identify genes and genomic regions with potential role in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Seventeen patients with FS of bone were included in the study. Array CGH analysis was carried out in 13 fresh frozen tissue specimens from 11 of these patients (nine primary tumors and four local recurrences). DNA was extracted and hybridizations were performed on Agilent 244K CGH oligoarrays. The data were analyzed using Agilent DNA Analytics Software. The number of changes per patient ranged from 0 to 132 (average = 43). Losses were most commonly detected at 6q, 8p, 9p, 10, 13q, and 20p. CDKN2A was homozygously deleted in 7/11 patients. Hypermethylation of both p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF) was found in 1/14 patients. An internal deletion of STARD13 was found in a region with common losses at 13q13.1. The most frequent gains were seen at 1q, 4q, 5p, 8q, 12p, 15q, 16q, 17q, 20q, 22q, and Xp. Single recurrent high level amplification was detected at 4q12, including KIT, PDGFRA, and KDR. No activating mutations were found in any of them. Immunohistochemistry revealed expression of PDGFRA and/or PDGFRB in 12/17 samples. Moreover, small regions of gains pinpointed genes of particular interest, such as IGF1R at 15q26.3 and CHD1L at 1q21.1. In conclusion, our analysis provided novel findings that can be exploited when searching for markers for diagnosis and prognosis, and targets of therapy in this tumor type.

Oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was applied on fifteen gastric cancer (GCA) samples to reveal information of DNA copy number changes at an exon-level resolution. Twelve of the samples represented the intestinal (IGCA) and three the diffuse (DGCA) type of GCA. The samples had previously been assessed for genetic stability by microsatellite analysis and categorized into microsatellite phenotypes according to the type of alterations. As compared to our previous results obtained using cDNA platforms, the oligonucleotide platforms revealed more aberrations per sample (0-45 vs. 0-22). A total of 22 amplifications were detected by the oligonucleotide arrays. Ten of the amplicons had also been detected on the cDNA platform, but five of them spanned only one or a few cDNA clones, thus resembling apparent outliers. Two tumors showed five or more amplifications by oligonucleotide aCGH, suggesting the presence of an amplifier phenotype. The amplifications occurred irrespective of the microsatellite phenotypes. None of the DGCA tumors showed more than one aberration, whereas the IGCA tumors showed several aberrations. The increased resolution of the oligonucleotide arrays enabled the detection of amplicon boundaries at gene level, allowing, e.g., the determination of the 17q12 core amplicon and interstitial losses within the 8p23.1-->p22 and 20q13.2-->q13.1 amplifications. Previously no losses have been reported within amplified regions in GCA. In addition to novel amplified regions, the oligonucleotide array results describe novel targets for amplicons at 8p11 (SFRP1), 11p12 (LRRC4C), and 19q13.2 (CEACAM6)., (Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

DNA copy number amplifications activate oncogenes and are hallmarks of nearly all advanced tumors. Amplified genes represent attractive targets for therapy, diagnostics and prognostics. To investigate DNA amplifications in different neoplasms, we performed a bibliomics survey using 838 published chromosomal comparative genomic hybridization studies and collected amplification data at chromosome band resolution from more than 4500 cases. Amplification profiles were determined for 73 distinct neoplasms. Neoplasms were clustered according to the amplification profiles, and frequently amplified chromosomal loci (amplification hot spots) were identified using computational modeling. To investigate the site specificity and mechanisms of gene amplifications, colocalization of amplification hot spots, cancer genes, fragile sites, virus integration sites and gene size cohorts were tested in a statistical framework. Amplification-based clustering demonstrated that cancers with similar etiology, cell-of-origin or topographical location have a tendency to obtain convergent amplification profiles. The identified amplification hot spots were colocalized with the known fragile sites, cancer genes and virus integration sites, but global statistical significance could not be ascertained. Large genes were significantly overrepresented on the fragile sites and the reported amplification hot spots. These findings indicate that amplifications are selected in the cancer tissue environment according to the qualitative traits and localization of cancer genes.

Gene amplifications occur rarely in hematologic neoplasms. We characterized two cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with marker chromosomes and 11q23-25 amplicons. Case 1 was a 14-year-old male with an additional ring of chromosome 11 material as the sole karyotypic abnormality, as determined by G-banding and multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization. Standard comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) showed amplification in 11q23-qter. However, the MLL gene, in 11q23, was not amplified by FISH. Case 2 was a 38-year-old male with the G-banding karyotype 51,XY,+8,+19,+3mar and with 11q22-qter amplification by standard CGH. This patient also had the MLL-LARG fusion gene. We used microarray-based CGH (array-CGH) to characterize the amplicons. In case 1, the amplified region in 11q24.3-25 (5.5 Mb) was continuous, and MLL was not amplified, as expected. In case 2, the amplicon was divided into two distinct parts, in 11q23.3 (1.2 Mb) and in 11q23.3-25 (13.3 Mb). It contained a loss ( approximately 1 Mb) in 11q23.3, and the amplicon breakpoint was in the middle of MLL. Although the amplicon size varied, the patients had a common amplified region in 11q24-25 that comprised 14 genes. Expression microarray of case 1 revealed that three of these genes, FLI1, NFRKB, and SNX19, were also overexpressed. The results indicate that the 11q24-q25 region may harbor new candidate oncogenes. In addition, the complex amplicon of case 2 suggests some intriguing chromosomal mechanisms.

Gene amplifications are essential features of advanced cancers and have prognostic as well as therapeutic significance in clinical cancer treatment. Models explaining the amplification process, such as breakage-fusion-bridge cycle and excision and unequal segregation of extrachromosomal DNA fragments, predict that independent DNA double-stranded breaks must occur to induce amplification formation. Many cellular, tissue and environmental factors induce DNA damage and amplifications. Also labile DNA sequence features like fragile sites facilitate amplifications. Although, databases and data mining tools of various genomic attributes are already available, extra-large scale systems biology endeavors to decipher dynamics, interactions and dependencies between different factors contributing to amplification process fail, because current databases of DNA copy number aberrations and fragile sites comprise conventional cytogenetics results obtained at far too coarse chromosome band resolution. Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) enables genome-wide gene copy number measurements and amplification detection at molecular genetic resolution. Similarly, cloning and sequencing of fragile sites produce mapping information of vastly improved resolution. In conclusion, databases of aCGH and sequenced fragile sites are needed to resolve the mechanisms of gene amplifications in systems biology configuration.

Several chromosomal regions are recurrently amplified or deleted in lung tumors, but little is known about the underlying genes, which could be important mediators in tumor formation or progression. In lung cancer, the RB1-CCND1-CDKN2A pathway, involved in the G1-S transition, is damaged in nearly all tumors. In the present study, we localized a novel amplicon in lung tumors to a fragment of less than 0.5 Mb at 12q13.3-q14.1 by using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) on cDNA microarrays. This approach enabled us to identify 10-15 genes with the most consistent amplifications. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analyses of 13 genes in this region showed that four of them (CDK4, CYP27B1, METTL1, and TSFM) were also highly up-regulated. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of 141 tumor samples on a tissue microarray showed that CDK4 was expressed at a high level in 23% of lung tumors. Six (21.4%) of the tumors with high CDK4 expression (n = 28) were shown by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to contain the 12q13.3-q14.1 amplification. For CDK4, a positive correlation was found between gene copy number (FISH and CGH array), mRNA expression (RT-PCR), and level of protein expression (IHC). CDK4 expression did not correlate with CDKN2A methylation status. Amplification of CDK4 has been described in other tumor types, but its role in lung cancer remains to be elucidated. Although CDK4 amplification seems to be a relatively rare event (4.3%) in lung tumors, it indicates the significance of the RB1-CCND1 pathway in lung tumorigenesis., ((c) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Little is known about the genomic alterations underlying osteosarcoma. We performed a genomewide high-resolution gene copy number analysis of 22 osteosarcoma samples using comparative genomic hybridization on a cDNA microarray that contained cDNA clones of about 13,000 genes. Nineteen of the 22 cases had amplifications that on average spanned more than 1 Mb and contained more than 10 genes. Numerous regions of gain and loss were identified, and their boundaries were defined at high resolution. Novel amplicons were found at 14q11, 17q25, and 22q11-q13. Earlier-known large amplified regions were detected at 12q11-q15, 8q24, 6p12-p13, and 17p11-p13 in 8, 6, 5, and 4 of the 22 samples, respectively. Amplification of 12q was observed more frequently (36% of the cases) than previously reported. Previously known small amplicons at 1p34-p36, 1q21, 19q13, and 21q22 were seen in at least three cases. Our results implicate TOM1L2 and CYP27B1 as having roles as novel targets for the 17p and 12q amplicons, respectively. Details (www.helsinki.fi/cmg) of the amplified genes in each amplicon provide valuable raw data for further in silico studies., ((c) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Amplification of region 17p11.2 approximately p12 has been found in 13%-29% of high-grade osteosarcomas, suggesting the presence of an oncogene or oncogenes that may contribute to their development. To determine the location of these putative oncogenes, we established 17p11.2 approximately p12 amplification profiles by semiquantitative PCR, using 15 microsatellite markers and seven candidate genes in 19 high-grade osteosarcomas. Most of the tumors displayed complex amplification profiles, with frequent involvement of marker D17S2041 in 17p12 and TOP3A in 17p11.2 and, in some cases, very high-level amplification of PMP22 and MAPK7 in 17p11.2. Our findings suggest that multiple amplification targets, including PMP22, TOP3A, and MAPK7 or genes close to these candidate oncogenes, may be present in 17p11.2 approximately p12 and thus contribute to osteosarcoma tumorigenesis.

Gains of 1q21-q23 have been associated with metastasis and chemotherapy response, particularly in bladder cancer, hepatocellular carcinomas and sarcomas. By positional cloning of amplified genes by yeast artificial chromosome-mediated cDNA capture using magnetic beads, we have identified three candidate genes (COAS1, -2 and -3) in the amplified region in sarcomas. COAS1 and -2 showed higher amplification levels than COAS3. Most notably, amplification was very common in osteosarcomas, where in particular COAS2 was highly expressed. COAS1 has multiple repeats and shows no homology to previously described genes, whereas COAS2 is a novel member of the cyclosporin-binding peptidyl-prolyl isomerase family, very similar to cyclophilin A. COAS2 was overexpressed almost exclusively in aggressive metastatic or chemotherapy resistant tumours. Although COAS2 was generally more amplified than COAS1, it was not expressed in well-differentiated liposarcomas, where amplification of this region is very common. All three genes were found to be amplified and over-expressed also in breast carcinomas. The complex nature of the 1q21-23 amplicons and close proximity of the genes make unequivocal determination of the gene responsible difficult. Quite likely, the different genes may give selective advantages to different subsets of tumours.

To identify DNA amplifications in sarcomas, comparative genomic hybridization was performed on 27 cases that were likely to display high-level DNA copy number gains. In all cases, chromosome banding analysis had revealed homogeneously staining regions or double minutes, i.e., cytogenetic signs of gene amplification. In most cases, gains predominated over losses. Low-level amplifications (ratio 1.3:1.5) were seen in 20 cases. High-level amplifications (ratio >1.5) exceeded the frequencies seen in published, unselected sarcomas of similar histotypes and were detected in 16 tumors: 4/4 osteosarcomas, 5/8 malignant fibrous histiocytomas, 3/7 leiomyosarcomas, 1/2 myosarcomas, 0/1 liposarcoma, 0/1 rhabdomyosarcoma, 1/1 pleomorphic sarcoma, 0/1 myxofibrosarcoma, 1/1 malignant mesenchymona, and 1/1 malignant schwannoma, with two to four chromosomal regions involved in nine tumors. Recurrent amplifications involved 1p33-p32, 5p15-p14, 7pter-p12, 7q21-qter, 8q21.3-qter, 11q22-q23, 16p13.2-p12, 19q12-q13.1, 20q11.2-qter, and 22q12-q13. Most of the recurrent gains/amplifications we detected have been reported in sarcomas previously. A novel gain/amplification was seen at 2q14.3-q21 in five cases of four sarcoma types. The disparate pattern of amplified sequences, the poor correspondence between the localization of low- and high-level amplifications, and the chromosomal position of homogeneously staining regions suggest the involvement of many genes in the amplifications and that the genes rarely maintain their native position in these tumors.

DNA copy number changes were studied by comparative genomic hybridization on 10 tumor specimens of squamous cell carcinoma of cervix obtained from Korean patients. DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded sections after removal of non-malignant cells by microdissection technique. Copy number changes were found in 8/10 tumors. The most frequent changes were chromosome 19 gains (n=6) and losses on chromosomes 4 (n=4), 5 (n=3), and 3p (n=3). A novel finding was amplification in chromosome arm 9p21-pter in 2 cases. Gains in 1, 3q, 5p, 6p, 8q, 16p, 17, and 20q and losses at 2q, 6q, 8p, 9q, 10p, 11, 13, 16q, and 18q were observed in at least one of the cases.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a tumor of low or intermediate malignant potential with a tendency for recurrence, but low rate of metastasis. The tumorigenesis of DFSP has recently been shown to be associated with the fusion of the collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) and platelet-derived growth factor B-chain (PDGFB) genes, often as a consequence of translocation t(17;22)(q22;q13). Cytogenetically, DFSP is often characterized by supernumerary ring chromosomes containing material from chromosomes 17 and 22. A subset of DFSPs undergo fibrosarcomatous transformation de novo or upon recurrence, and contain components indistinguishable from fibrosarcoma (FS-DFSP). The fibrosarcomatous transformation appears to carry an increased risk for recurrence and metastasis, and is considered to represent tumor progression. The molecular cytogenetic events contributing to tumor progression are unknown. We used comparative genomic hybridization to analyze DNA copy number changes in 11 cases of typical DFSP and 10 cases of FS-DFSP. All cases in both groups were found to exhibit a gain or high-level amplification on chromosome 17q and the majority also on 22q. This finding is in line with previous studies, and suggests further that not only the COL1A1/PDGFB fusion gene formation but also the role of DNA copy number gains in the 17q and 22q regions is crucial per se in the pathogenesis of DFSP. Even though FS-DFSPs displayed a trend toward increase in the number of DNA copy number changes, the difference was not statistically significant, which indicates that mechanisms other than copy number changes are important in the transformation process of DFSP., (Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

We analyzed eight samples of xenografted human pancreatic tumors and two metastases developed in mice by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). The most recurrent changes were: gains on chromosomes 8 (8q24-qter; 7/8 cases), 15 (15q25-q26; 6/8 cases), 16 (16p in 6/8 cases; 16q in 5/8 cases), 20 (20q; 6/8 cases), and 19 (19q; 5/8 cases); and losses on chromosomes 18 (18q21; 6/8 cases), 6 (6q16-q21 and 6q24-qter; 5/8 cases each), and 9 (9p23-pter; 5/8 cases). The two metastases maintained the aberrations of the original pancreatic tumor plus gain of 11q12-q13 and 22q. Loss of heterozygosity analysis was carried out for 10p14-pter, a region that was lost in 3/8 samples. All of them presented allelic imbalance for all the informative loci. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and Southern analysis were performed to test some candidate oncogenes in 8q24 (MYC) and 15q25-qter (IGF1R and FES). Two of seven tumors showed high-level amplification of MYC relative to the centromere (> 3-fold), another two tumors had low-level amplification (1.5- to 3.0-fold), and one displayed 5.5 MYC signals/cell. In relation to the FES gene, low-level amplification was found in three tumors. Southern analysis showed five cases with a low-level amplification of IGF1R. Our data suggest that either few extra gene copies may be enough for cancer progression or other genes located in these regions are responsible for the amplifications found by CGH.

Our recent studies using comparative genomic hybridization showed that gain or amplification at the 17q12-q21 region is very common in the intestinal type of gastric cancer. Here, we describe a fluorescence in situ hybridization study with gastrin (GAS)-specific and ERBB2-specific probes on ten specimens of gastric carcinoma that, by using comparative genomic hybridization, showed 1) DNA copy number gain or amplification at 17q12-q21, a region known to harbor the GAS and ERBB2 genes (four cases); 2) gain of the entire chromosome 17 (three cases); or 3) normal copy number of chromosome 17 (three cases). GAS and ERBB2 protein expression was studied by Western immunoblotting from gastric cancer cell lines with or without gain at 17q12-q21 as well as a breast cancer cell line with ERBB2 amplification. Our results showed that simultaneous amplification of both GAS and ERBB2 was four- to ninefold in the tumors with the 17q12-q21 amplification. Both genes were amplified in the same nuclei, and the hybridization signals were localized to the same region of the nucleus. Overexpression of GAS and ERBB2 was observed by Western immunoblotting only in the gastric cancer cell line with gain at 17q12-q21. The ERBB2 amplification is also a recurrent change in breast cancer. To investigate whether the GAS amplification is unique in gastric cancer, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis was performed on 40 breast cancer cell lines. The ERBB2 amplification was observed in 11 cell lines, but none of the lines showed the GAS amplification. This indicates that the formation of an amplicon, in which both the GAS and the ERBB2 genes are amplified, might be unique in gastric cancer, especially in its intestinal type, and that simultaneous amplification of both genes is important to the tumorigenesis of intestinal gastric cancer. We demonstrate here for the first time that a gene of a physiological hormone is amplified in tumors that originate from cells that normally secrete the hormone.

Our aim was to investigate the presence of DNA copy number changes in gastric adenomas and to identify the changes that may play a role in gastric carcinogenesis. DNA copy number changes in 16 patients with gastric adenoma and in 22 tumors from patients with intestinal type gastric carcinomas were studied by using comparative genomic hybridization. DNA copy number changes were found in 44% of the adenoma cases and in 86% of the intestinal type gastric carcinomas. On average, gains were more common than losses (0.9 vs. 0.5 in adenomas and 4.1 vs. 1.8 in carcinomas). In adenomas, the most common gains involved chromosome 8 in 3 cases, and gain of chromosome 7 and 20q was detected in 2 cases. The most frequent losses were observed at 5q (three times). Only adenomas with severe dysplasia showed high-level amplifications that were detected at chromosome 13, 17cen-q22, and 20q12-ter. In gastric cancer, the most common gains were detected at 20q (55%), 17q12-q21 (41%), and 8q (41%), and the most common losses were detected at 18q (41%) and 4q (32%). High-level amplifications were observed at 20q (3 tumors), 17cen-q21 (3 tumors), 2p (1 tumor), and 18q (1 tumor). These findings suggest that the progression of dysplasia is associated with higher levels of DNA copy number increase (e.g., the gains at 17q and 20q), which were typically observed in the intestinal type gastric cancer. Furthermore, the results support the hypothesis that adenoma precedes cancer.

Background and Objective: Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) allows the study of DNA copy number changes in a single hybridization from tumor DNA without any cell culture. Three reports of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) studied by CGH have been published so far, with somewhat discrepant results. In the present study we performed CGH analysis on 36 patients with childhood ALL. The results were compared to those reported earlier on 157 cases., Design and Methods: DNA was extracted from bone marrow specimens from 36 patients with childhood ALL. The tumor and reference DNAs were labeled with fluorescein-isothiocyanate conjugated dCTP and dUTP, and Texas red-conjugated dCTP and dUTP. The hybridizations were analyzed using the ISIS digital image analysis system., Results: The most commonly gained chromosomes were X (42%), 4 (31%), 6 (31%), 10 (36%), 14 (28%) and 18 (33%), and the most common losses were at 9p22-pter (6%) and 12p13-pter (14%)., Interpretation and Conclusions: The pattern of gains of DNA sequences was very similar in the four reports, but the 9p and 12p deletions were observed only in the present study and one previous report. Our review of the results of 193 patients studied so far shows that the success rate using CGH was close to 100%, whereas cytogenetic analysis failed to reveal any information in 21 patients (11%). Furthermore, in 69 (36%) out of 193 patients CGH gave additional information to the banding analysis. CGH should, therefore, be used to supplement standard cytogenetics in the analysis of childhood ALL patients.

This review summarizes reports of recurrent DNA sequence copy number amplifications in human neoplasms detected by comparative genomic hybridization. Some of the chromosomal areas with recurrent DNA copy number amplifications (amplicons) of 1p22-p31, 1p32-p36, 1q, 2p13-p16, 2p23-p25, 2q31-q33, 3q, 5p, 6p12-pter, 7p12-p13, 7q11.2, 7q21-q22, 8p11-p12, 8q, 11q13-q14, 12p, 12q13-q21, 13q14, 13q22-qter, 14q13-q21, 15q24-qter, 17p11.2-p12, 17q12-q21, 17q22-qter, 18q, 19p13.2-pter, 19cen-q13.3, 20p11.2-p12, 20q, Xp11.2-p21, and Xp11-q13 and genes therein are presented in more detail. The paper with more than 150 references and two tables can be accessed from our web site http://www.helsinki.fi/lglvwww/CMG.html. The data will be updated biannually until the year 2001.

Gene activation by translocation between an oncogene and an immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene, which leads to increased expression of the oncoprotein, is a well-known mechanism in the genesis of B-cell lymphomas. In contrast, the role of gene amplification in activation of oncogenes in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas is poorly characterized. To study the BCL2 amplification we performed comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), Southern blot hybridization, Western analysis, immunohistochemistry, metaphase fluorescence in situ hybridization, and chromosome analysis on 26 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (large noncleaved cell lymphoma). The gain or high-level amplification of 18q was found in eight tumors (31%) by CGH, and Southern analysis revealed BCL2 amplification in these cases, but not in the cases with normal chromosome 18 or t(14;18)(q32;q21). Western immunoblot analysis and immunohistochemistry revealed a high-level expression of BCL2 protein in the cases with BCL2 amplification and t(14;18)(q32;q21). However, translocation (14;18)(q32;q21) was not detected in any of the cases with BCL2 amplification. Therefore, our results suggest that amplification of the BCL2 gene is an important mechanism for BCL2 protein overexpression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Comparative genomic hybridization was used to search for previously unknown gains and losses of DNA sequences along all chromosome arms in 29 chondrosarcoma specimens obtained from 23 patients. Extensive genetic aberrations, with a mean of 6 changes per tumor (range, 1 to 24), were detected in 21 of the 29 samples analyzed (72%). The majority of these changes were gains of whole chromosomes or whole chromosome arms. Gains of DNA sequence copy number were most frequent at 20q (38%), 17p (38%), 20p (31%), 1cen-q24 (28%), and 14q23-qter (28%). High-level amplifications of small chromosome regions were sporadic, detected in only 17% of the samples. The only recurrent high-level amplification, seen in two tumors (7%), affected the minimal common region 12cen-q15. Other amplifications, each encountered only once, involved 1p33-p35, 2p23-pter, 4p, 6p22-pter, 18q12-q22, 19p13.2, 19q13.2, and 20q13.1. Losses of DNA sequences were rare and were most commonly observed at 6cen-q22 (17%) and 9p (17%).

To test the applicability of microsatellite markers in the study of DNA amplifications evaluated by comparative genomic hybridization, we analyzed 55 highly polymorphic microsatellite marker loci from six liposarcoma tumors (seven specimens) and from one atypical lipoma with a gain or high-level amplification at 12q13-22. Twelve-trisomic neoplastic cells from a patient with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia were used as a positive control, in which 74% of informative loci showed allelic imbalance. In every tumor specimen microsatellite marker loci analysis showed allelic imbalance. The amplicons were discontinuous, indicating the presence of separate amplicons in the 12q13-22 region. Not only gains but also losses as well as concomitant gains and losses of alleles were observed. The use of microsatellite markers has several advantages: gene loci as well as flanking DNA loci can be analyzed, it is fast and lends itself to automation, and allows a large number of marker loci to be analyzed simultaneously.

We have isolated from an arginase-deficient polyamine-dependent Chinese hamster ovary cell line a new mutant strain that has greatly increased ornithine decarboxylase activity. This enables the cells, in the absence of ornithine, to decarboxylate lysine into cadaverine (diaminopentane) that is further converted into N-(3-aminopropyl)cadaverine and N,N'-bis(3-aminopropyl)cadaverine. These unusual polyamines can support the growth of the cells without added polyamines derived from ornithine. Immunoreactive ornithine decarboxylase-like protein was clearly increased in the mutant cells but could not solely account for the greatly increased enzyme activity. Southern blot analysis of DNA hybridized to a plasmid carrying ornithine decarboxylase-cDNA revealed at least a 32-fold amplification of the ornithine decarboxylase gene. Ornithine decarboxylase-mRNA concentration was also highly increased in the cells. The half-life of the enzyme and the Km for ornithine were not altered from those of the parental cell line.

We have studied molecular and chromosomal details of cytogenetic status in a human tumor cell line COLO 205 that shows a stable, approximately tenfold amplification of the c-myb oncogene. The amplified copies of c-myb reside in two marker chromosomes that may have evolved from chromosome #6 by complex chromosomal rearrangements. No homogeneously staining regions can be discerned at the site of c-myb amplification. We suggest that c-myb was amplified in situ in a chromosomal segment (6q22-24) that became a part of the marker chromosome, possibly through isochromosome formation followed by duplication, and without the extrachromosomal intermediate form of double minute chromosomes. There is an enhanced frequency of sister chromatid exchanges at the site of amplified c-myb. These results are discussed in the context of models for gene amplification and oncogene activation.

Cytogenetic analysis of bone-marrow cells from a woman with preleukaemia showed numerous mitoses with trisomy 4 and double minute chromosomes. These abnormalities were later seen in blood cells during subsequent acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Complete remission was achieved with three courses of doxorubicin, cytosine arabinoside, and prednisone. A further clonal abnormality, trisomy 6, was seen in leukaemic cells after the first relapse. Analyses of total DNA from the peripheral-blood cells during relapse showed that the c-myc oncogene was amplified about 30-fold in the leukaemic cells. The N-myc, c-mos, and c-myb oncogenes showed only single-copy signals. On average about two copies of c-myc resided on each dmin chromosome. The finding of amplification of a cellular oncogene (c-myc) in fresh AML cells containing double minute chromosomes suggests that clonal evolution of some leukaemia cell populations may involve selection for increased dosage of oncogenes.