Genetic and adaptive differences in the expression of drug resistance in hybrid cells.

Hybrids between Chinese hamster cells were isolated and maintained in media that were selective or nonselective for markers present in the parent cells (HGPRT and TK deficiencies, respectively). Segregation frequencies for resistance to azaguanine (AZG), thioguanine (THG), or bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) could be enhanced for some groups of hybrids if the stock cells were maintained under nonselective conditions rather than in HAT medium. In these populations the expression of resistance was dominant or codominant even though marker patterns were recessive for the same cells in HAT. Clonal analysis showed that enhancement took place by adaptive shifts rather than by variation and selection. Segregation frequencies in hybrids were also found to differ significantly between clones isolated by replicate fusions of any two parental cell types. The basis for this heterogeneity is unknown and deserves further study.