Mouse chromosome 5

Establishment and characterization of BALB/c retroperitoneal sarcoma with spontaneous liver metastases

The objective of this study was to examine the identity and characteristics of a spontaneously occurring murine retroperitoneal tumor of BALB/c mouse origin that selectively metastasized to the liver. From the primary tumor, a permanent cell line, termed LMFS (liver metastasis from sarcoma) was established in vivo and in vitro. After a subcutaneous injection of more than 1 x 10(5) cells in the side back of mice, the LMFS cells proliferated at the inoculation site (100% take) and induced metastatic nodules spontaneously in the liver, but not in the lung. By the limiting dilution technique, a cloned cell line, LMFS-1, was established in vitro. The LMFS-1 cell line had similar morphological characteristics to the LMFS cells both in vitro and in vivo. The doubling time of the LMFS-1 cell line was 10 h in passage 60. The number of chromosomes ranged from 71 to 108 and 93% of metaphases showed near-tetraploidy. In microscopic examination, no specific arrangement of the LMFS tumor cells was seen; the LMFS cell had medium- to large-sized atypical nuclei and clear and large cytoplasm. Electronmicroscopy showed that the cytoplasm of the LMFS cell had a moderate amount of rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum but no desmosomes or microvilli. Immunohistochemically, the LMFS cells were positive for vimentin, but showed no reaction for keratin or cytokeratin. Therefore, the LMFS tumor was considered to be an undifferentiated sarcoma. The LMFS cell line should be a useful tool not only for studies of metastasis, but also for experiments on the therapy of hepatic tumors.

Linkage, but not gene order, of homologous loci, including alpha-L-iduronidase (Idua), is conserved in the Huntington disease region of the mouse and human genomes

alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA), which when deficient causes mucopolysaccharidosis type I, is located near the Huntington disease locus (HD) on human Chromosome (Chr) 4p16.3, approximately 10(6) base pairs (bp) from the telomere. As part of our continuing efforts to define a detailed comparative map for this chromosomal segment in mice and humans, we have used an interspecific backcross between C57BL/6J and an inbred strain derived from Mus spretus to map Idua, the mouse homolog of IDUA. We also mapped the mouse homolog of D4S115, an anonymous locus approximately 250 kb proximal to IDUA. As expected, both Idua and D4S115h are located on the proximal portion of mouse Chr 5 near homologs for other loci on human Chr 4p. Comparison of gene order in mice and humans demonstrates, however, that a chromosomal rearrangement within this conserved synteny has occurred since divergence of lineages leading to mice and humans.