Loss of heterozygosity in tumor cells requires re-evaluation: the data are biased by the size-dependent differential sensitivity of allele detection.

Normal tissue contamination of tumors may eclipse the detection of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) by microsatellite analysis and may also hamper isolation of tumor suppressor genes. To test the potential impact of this problem, we prepared artificial mixtures of mouse-human microcell hybrid lines that carried different alleles of the same chromosome 3 marker. After performing an allele titration assay, we found a consistent difference between the LOH of a high molecular weight (H) allele and the LOH of a low molecular weight (L) allele of the same CA repeat marker. It follows that normal tissue admixtures will be less of a problem when LOH affects a H allele than with a L allele. Random screening of 100 papers published between 1994 and 1999 revealed that the loss of a L allele was recorded at about half the frequency (52%) of loss of a H allele. To avoid this bias, we have developed rules for the evaluation of LOH data. We suggest that the loss of a L allele should be given more weight than the loss of a H allele in LOH studies using microsatellite markers.

Analysis of NotI linking clones isolated from human chromosome 3 specific libraries.

We have partially sequenced more than 1000 NotI linking clones isolated from human chromosome 3-specific libraries. Of these clones, 152 were unique chromosome 3-specific clones. The clones were precisely mapped using a combination of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and hybridization to somatic cell or radiation hybrids. Two- and three-color FISH was used to order the clones that mapped to the same chromosomal region, and in some cases, chromosome jumping was used to resolve ambiguous mapping. When this NotI restriction map was compared with the yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) based chromosome 3 map, significant differences in several chromosome 3 regions were observed. A search of the EMBL nucleotide database with these sequences revealed homologies (90-100%) to more than 100 different genes or expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Many of these homologies were used to map new genes to chromosome 3. These results suggest that sequencing NotI linking clones, and sequencing CpG islands in general, may complement the EST project and aid in the discovery of all human genes by sequencing random cDNAs. This method may also yield information that cannot be obtained by the EST project alone; namely, the identification of the 5' ends of genes, including potential promoter/enhancer regions and other regulatory sequences

Assignment and ordering of twenty-three unique NotI-linking clones containing expressed genes including the guanosine 5'-monophosphate synthetase gene to human chromosome 3.

Twenty-three unique NotI-linking clones, mainly isolated from the NRL1 library, were mapped and ordered by fluorescence in situ hybridization to human chromosome 3. All these clones were partially sequenced around the NotI sites and thus represent sequence-tagged sites. The EMBL nucleotide database was then searched with sequences from the NotI-linking clones using the FASTA program. This search revealed that the NRL-090 clone (at 3q24) contains the gene encoding human guanosine 5'-monophosphate synthetase (GMPS-PEN). To our knowledge, this is the first localization of this gene. Clone NL1-320 (at 3p21.3) contains a gene encoding arginine tRNA (97.3% identity in 73 bp), while clones NRL-063, NRL-097 and NRL-143 contain expressed sequences with unknown functions. Other clones displayed 60-85% similarities to cDNAs, CpG islands and other genes.

NotI jumping and linking clones as a tool for genome mapping and analysis of chromosome rearrangements in different tumors.

Long-range restriction site maps are of central importance for mapping the human genome. The use of clones from linking and jumping libraries for genome mapping offers a promising alternative to the laborious procedures used up until now. In the present review, this research field is analyzed with particular emphasis on the implementation of a shot-gun sequencing strategy for genome mapping and the use of NotI linking clones for analysis of rearrangements in tumors and tumor cell lines.

Rapid mapping of NotI linking clones with differential hybridization and Alu-PCR.

For construction of a NotI restriction map of the human genome, the isolation and mapping of unique NotI linking clones represent important and critical steps. Recently we have shown that an Alu-PCR approach can be used for isolation of NotI linking clones from defined regions of the chromosomes. This represents a useful method for isolating and analyzing a small number of clones, but it would be laborious to use it for mapping many NotI linking clones simultaneously. Here we suggest another modification of Alu-PCR for rapid concurrent mapping of many NotI linking clones. The results clearly demonstrate the utility of this approach. Seventy-one random NotI linking clones were analyzed. Among them, 65 clones (91.5%) were correctly selected and mapped using this approach. With differential hybridization and Alu-PCR, a significant portion of all human NotI linking clones (> 30%) can be rapidly mapped to particular chromosomes or to defined regions of these chromosomes.

Shot-gun sequencing strategy for long-range genome mapping: a pilot study.

We have recently proposed a strategy for construction of long-range physical maps based on random sequencing of NotI linking and jumping clones. Here, we present results of sequence comparison between 168 NotI linking (100 of them were sequenced from both sides) and 81 chromosome 3-specific jumping clones. We were able to identify 14 NotI jumping clones (17%), each joined with two NotI linking clones. The average size of chromosomal jumps was about 650 kb. The assembled 42 NotI genomic fragments correspond to 12-15% of chromosome 3. These results demonstrate the value of random sequencing of NotI linking and jumping clones for genome mapping. This mapping proposal can be used for connecting physical and genetic maps of the human genome and will be a valuable supplement to YAC and cosmid library based mapping projects.

Construction of representative NotI linking libraries specific for the total human genome and for human chromosome 3.

NotI linking clones represent valuable tools for both physical and genetic mapping. Using procedures that we have previously described, several chromosome 3-specific NotI linking libraries have been constructed. Here, we describe the construction of six independent NotI linking libraries specific for the total human genome. These libraries were made using three different vectors and two combinations of restriction enzymes. Altogether, these six libraries contain more than 1 million recombinant phages. Considering that the human genome contains about 3000-5000 NotI sites, it is likely that all clonable NotI sites are present in these libraries. Two of the six libraries were transferred into plasmid form. At the same time, a chromosome 3-specific EcoRI-NotI library (NRL1) was constructed. This library considerably increases the representation of cloned NotI sites in combination with previously constructed libraries that were made using BamHI-NotI digestion. All libraries are available on request.

Alu-PCR approach to isolating NotI-linking clones from the 3p14-p21 region frequently deleted in renal cell carcinoma.

In the mammalian genome CpG islands are associated with functional genes and cloning of these islands could be an alternative approach for cloning functional genes. Recently we have developed a new approach for cloning CpG islands and constructing NotI linking libraries. We have initiated the construction of a NotI restriction map for chromosome 3, especially focusing on the rearrangements in the 3p14-p21 region, which are associated with different malignancies. CpG islands from this region are useful for isolation of candidate tumor suppressor genes that map to this region and for isolating NotI-linking clones from 3p14-p21 for mapping purposes. Here we suggest a modification of Alu-PCR as an approach to isolating NotI sites (e.g., CpG islands) from defined regions of the chromosome. Instead of using whole chromosomal DNA for Alu-PCR, we have used representative NotI-linking libraries from hybrid cell lines containing either whole or deleted human chromosome 3 (MCH903.1 and MCH924.4, respectively). This decreases the complexity of the Alu-PCR products 10-100 times compared to the whole human genome. Using this modification, we can isolate NotI-linking clones, which are natural markers on the chromosome, rather than random genomic fragments. Among eight clones selected by this method, seven were from the region deleted in MCH924.4. The results clearly demonstrate the feasibility of Alu-PCR for isolating CpG islands from defined regions of the genome.