Karyotype evolution of the simian virus 40--transformed human cell line LNSV.

We have used trypsin-Wright's banding ("GTG-banding") to analyze the chromosome content in two sublines of the SV40-transformed human cell line LNSV, derived from fibroblasts of a patient with HPRT deficiency. Both LNSV sublines (GM-847 and "LNSV") were heteroploid and showed considerable numerical and structural chromosome variability. Nineteen rearranged chromosomes which were observed at high frequency have been set aside as "marker chromosomes," and their probable derivation from normal human chromosomes has been described in PARIS CONFERENCE (1971) nomenclature. Heterogeneity within these uncloned sublines appears to increase with time in culture, and no evidence was found for evolution of a karyotypically stable cell population. The results are of general significance for cell genetic studies using established cell lines.