Cytogenetic Analysis of Four Human Ovarian Carcinoma Cell Lines Denise Sheer, David M. Sheppard, Patricia A. Gorman, Bruce Ward, Richard D. H. Whelan, and Bridget T. Hill ABSTRACT: Four cell lines derived from adenocarcinomas of the ovary, including three recently es- tablished cell lines, have been karyatyped. Chromosomes #1, #3, and #6 were found to be frequently involved in translocations with various other chromosomes, in agreement with results of other investigators, strongly implicating genes on these chromosomes in ovarian tumorigenesis. INTRODUCTION The identification of consistent chromosome aberrations in human solid tumors has been hampered in many cases by difficulties in obtaining sufficient numbers of dividing cells from primary tumors, the poor morphology of chromosomes ob- tained, and the extent of chromosome rearrangement often observed. In ovarian tumors, a translocation between chromosomes #6 and #14, tC6;14)Cq21;q24) was reported by Wake et al. in 1980 [1] to be consistently associated with papillary serous cystadenocarcinomas. Other investigators have found chromosomes #1 and #3 to be most often rearranged in ovarian tumors [2, 3]. We have carried out a detailed cytogenetic investigation of four cell lines derived from ovarian tumors in order to determine whether the reported chromosome abnormalities or any other consistent abnormalities are present. MATERIALS AND METHODS Details of the establishment in vitro and characterization of the continuous tumor cell lines TR170, TR175, and JA-1 are described elsewhere [4]. SK-OV-3 cells [5] were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (Rockville, MD, USA; Cat. no. HTB 77). Classification of the tumors from which the cell lines were de- rived, and details of the prior chemotherapy received by patients are shown in Table 1. Insufficient material was available to attempt primary cytogenetic analyses of the tumors in addition to establishing cell lines. Chromosomes were prepared from the cell lines according to standard techniques, and G-banded using trypsin and Giemsa [6]. G-11 and C-banding were carried out according to established methods [7, 8]. At least 20 metaphases from each cell line were examined. From the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. England. Address requests for reprints to Dr. Denise Sheer, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, P.O. Box 123, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, England. Received August 15, 1986; accepted October 2, 1986. 339 © 1987 Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 26:339-349 (1987) 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, NY 10017 0165-4608/87/$03.50