Characterization of a chromosomally complex lung cancer cell line using multiwell fluorescence in situ hybridization

The chromosomal characterization of a non-small cell lung cancer cell line (NCIH358) is described. This characterization was achieved using a simple, cheap and technically straightforward multiwell fluorescence in situ hybrid ization (FISH) method. The many and complex chromosome rearrangements ident ified by this method could not be defined using conventional G-banded chrom osome analysis, and have not been previously described. For the detailed ch aracterization of complex cell lines, multiwell FISH has many advantages ov er more technically demanding and expensive FISH techniques, and opens up t he possibility of screening for consistent rearrangements, leading to the i dentification of unique fusion genes. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 2000. All rights reserved.