Identification of chromosomal rearrangements in the human myeloid leukemia cell line GF-D8 by dual-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization

Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) studies with chromosome-specific libraries and repetitive probes were performed on the human acute myeloid leukemia cell line GF-D8 in order to define the complex chromosomal rearrangements observed by conventional cytogenetic analysis. Two-colour FISH with whole chromosome painting probes 8 and 11 showed that the add(8) chromosome had an 11-derived region inserted at q24, whereas the add(11) chromosome had an 8-derived region translocated onto q23. It also demonstrated that no normal chromosome 11 is present in GF-D8 cells, since a translocation involving chromosomes 11 and 17q was detected in addition to the add(11). The der(7) chromosome with extra material in its long arm, identified by QFQ and GTG banding, turned out to have a chromosome 15-derived segment translocated to q22. The deletion of 7q was proved to be interstitial, as the 7q-specific telomere as well as a tiny 7-specific band were observed on an unknown chromosome. Fine mapping of the breakpoints involved in the multiple chromosomal rearrangements of the GF-D8 cell line might provide insights into the mechanisms of myeloid leukaemogenesis.