CYTOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF TRIPLOID RENAL-CARCINOMA IN RANA-PIPIENS

To provide a cytogenetic marker for nuclear transplantation experiment s, triploid Rana pipiens embryos were produced. These embryos were inj ected with Lucke tumor herpesvirus. The chromosome profile of a renal carcinoma that developed in one of these triploid embryos was compared to the chromosomal profiles of a naturally occurring diploid renal ca rcinoma and a diploid renal tumor maintained as serial anterior eye ch amber allografts for over 7 yr. Examination of Ag-NOR-stained chromoso me spreads from the putative triploid and naturally occurring putative diploid tumor revealed the expected results. The vast majority of the chromosome spreads, 54/57 (95%) and 6/7 (86%), respectively, displaye d euploid chromosome and Ag-NOR profiles: 3N = 39 with three Ag-NORs a t the secondary constrictions in the long arm of chromosome 10 (10q) a nd 2N = 26 with two Ag-NORs in 10q. Chromosome profiles from the long- term allografted tumor were highly aneuploid (82%) and, based on their Ag-NOR content, displayed variations in their 2N, 3N, and 4N numbers. These data indicate that the majority of recently transformed triploi d Lucke tumor cells can provide donor nuclei suitable for the characte rization of developmental potential.