Aneuploidy, an early event in mouse skin tumor development.

It has been suggested that chromosomal alterations can play a role in mouse skin carcinogenesis. These changes have been proposed as a possible mechanism of action of tumor promoters and they have also been related to the conversion of benign papillomas to carcinomas. However, direct evidence showing the chromosomal constitution of these tumors has not been previously described. Here we show the presence of aneuploid cells in very early papillomas and the eventual displacement of the diploid stem line by aneuploid clones at later stages. Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) induced by the same protocol were highly aneuploid. These results suggest that genomic imbalance produced by aneuploidy may be related to the malignant conversion of the benign papillomas.