DNA content of individual chromosomes of Chinese hamster normal karyotype and its permanent cell lines V-79 RJK and Verb-5

The genome size of the Chinese hamster Cricetulus griseus, absolute and relative DNA content of individual chromosomes in normal Chinese hamster karyotype and Chinese hamster cell lines V-79 RJK and Vebr-5 during long-term cultivation were determined with flow cytometry and microfluorimetry. It has been shown that the genome size of Chinese hamster males and females is 6.660 and 6.746 pg, respectively. DNA content in chromosomes of the cultivated cells drastically differed from that the normal Chinese hamster karyotype. It changed during the long-term cultivation of both cell lines. In certain chromosomes, the changes reached 20–25% (as a rule, increased). The level of DNA amplification in the p-arm of chromosome Z6 in cells Vebr-5 registered at the beginning of the experiment in the course of further cellular cultivation (over 20 years) remained stable. The data obtained suggest that the cell malignant transformation and cellular adaptation to the conditions in vitro resulted in the dramatic genome restructuring affected all chromosomes.