TELOMERIC ASSOCIATION OF CHROMOSOMES IS AN EARLY MANIFESTATION OF PROGRAMMED CELL-DEATH

Programmed cell death is an inherent characteristic of all somatic cel ls, including some immortalized cell lines. Cell death by apoptosis is attributed to nuclear disintegration, chromatin condensation, DNA fra gmentation and cytoplasmic boiling. The purpose of this communication is to provide another cytogenetic marker of extensive telomeric associ ations between chromosomes of cells that are undergoing apoptosis. Thi s can occur in normal fibroblasts, EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid B-ce ll lines, and even in certain tumor cell lines (including cell lines d erived from pancreatic and head and neck tumors). From our preliminary data, we conclude that acquisition of ability to form dicentric chrom osomes is associated with programmed cell death that can occur not onl y in normal fibroblasts but even in some tumor cell lines.