Genomic alterations associated with loss of heterozygosity for TP53 in Li-Fraumeni syndrome fibroblasts.

Studies of Li-Fraumeni syndrome fibroblasts heterozygous for germline TP53 mutations have shown that loss of heterozygosity (LOH) occurs during passaging and is associated with genomic instability, such as chromosomal aberrations and aneuploidy to investigate the genomic changes associated with LOH in Li-Fraumeni (LF) fibroblasts, we have analysed cell strains at increasing population doublings (PD) using Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH). We have looked at three groups of cell strains: LF mutation-carrying strains which showed LOH for TP53, LF mutation-carrying strains which did not show LOH, and strains from normal individuals. Using CGH, we have detected loss of distinct chromosomal regions associated with LOH in 4 out of 5 mutation-carrying strains. In particular we have found loss of chromosomal regions containing genes involved in cell cycle control or senescence, including loss of 9p and 17p in these strains. Other recurrent changes included loss of chromosomes 4q and 6q, regions shown to contain one or more tumour suppressor genes. No genomic alterations were detected at cumulative PD in the normal strains or in the LF mutation-carrying strains which did not show LOH for TP53. We have also analysed the three groups of strains for microsatellite instability and somatic TP53 mutations, and have found genetic alterations in only one strain.