CHARACTERIZATION OF PIG-MINK CELL HYBRIDS - ASSIGNMENT OF THE TK1 ANDUMPH2 GENES TO PIG CHROMOSOME-12

By fusion of thymidine kinase-deficient mink cells with pig leukocytes , a new type of cell hybrid was produced. It was demonstrated that pig chromosomes segregate in pig-mink hybrids and that hybrid cells conta in no cytologically visible rearrangements between the chromosomes of parental species, or chromosome fragmentation. With a set of subclones of two primary hybrid clones, the genes for thymidine kinase-l (TK1) and uridine 5'-monophosphate hydrolase-2 (UMPH2) were assigned to pig Chromosome (Chr) 12. A cell line with a single pig Chr 8 on the backgr ound of mink chromosomes was established. This clone could serve as a source of DNA for building a chromosome-specific library of pig Chr 8. The data obtained suggest that pig-mink cell hybrids can be used for mapping of pig chromosomes.