DIRECT ISOLATION OF GENES ENCODED WITHIN A HOMOGENEOUSLY STAINING REGION BY CHROMOSOME MICRODISSECTION

Identification of genes involved in recurring chromosome rearrangement s has provided significant insight into the molecular basis of maligna ncy. We describe here a strategy combining chromosome microdissection and hybrid selection for the direct isolation of chromosome region-spe cific genes. We modeled this strategy by using sequences recovered fro m the microdissection of a homogeneously staining region to allow isol ation of genes that were overexpressed and present at high copy number within the homogeneously staining region, including the direct isolat ion of two genes encoded within a 12q homogeneously staining region fo und in the osteosarcoma cell line OsA-CL. Although first applied to am plified genes, this strategy should be applicable to the isolation of cDNAs from any chromosomal region.