Chromosome-mediated transfer of murine alleles for hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) and ouabain resistance into human cell lines.

Genetic drug-resistance markers were transferred via purified metaphase chromosomes from mouse L cells into the human fibrosarcoma line HT1080 and HeLa S3 cells. Interspecific chromosome-mediated transfer of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT; EC 2.4.2.8) from mouse L cells into HGPRT- HT1080 cells occurred at a frequency of approximately 1 x 10(-7). The presence of the mouse allele for HGPRT in transferent isolates was confirmed by isoelectric focusing. Transfer of ouabain resistance from mouse L cells to HT1080 and HeLa S3 cells occurred at an average frequency of approximately 4 x 10(-7). Expression of the mouse trait in transferent isolates was confirmed by their ability to withstand doses of ouabain which would be lethal to spontaneous ouabain-resistant mutants of the human cells but not to mouse L cells, ouabain-resistant transferents of human cells showed 10(4)-to greater than 10(5)-fold enhanced drug resistance, characteristic of either wild-type or mutant alleles, respectively, from ouabain-resistant donor L cells. Unstable expression of the transferred phenotypes in the absence of selection was seen in some isolates, but expression was lost at slow rates.