Detection and analysis of origin of i(12p), a diagnostic marker of human male germ cell tumors, by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

The i(12p) chromosome marker has been shown to be a diagnostic and prognostic marker of human male germ cell tumors (GCTs). An analysis of the i(12p) and chromosome 12 aneuploidy was performed in five primary cell cultures and three established cell lines derived from human male GCTs by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a chromosome 12 centromere-specific alpha-satellite DNA probe. Distinct differences in the centromeric signals originating from the i(12p) and normal chromosome 12 were detected, which were found to be useful for unambiguous distinction between the i(12p) and normal chromosomes 12 at interphase as well as at metaphase in these cultures. This method can be used for rapid screening of large numbers of interphase cells, eliminating the main limitation of conventional karyotypic analysis, namely, frequent inability to obtain sufficient numbers of dividing cells in direct preparations or in short-term culture of fresh biopsies. Our analysis of chromosome 12 centromeric signal size along with karyotypic data and results of analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) on 12q in four GCTs suggested that the i(12p)s are formed by nonreciprocal centromeric interchanges between nonsister chromatids of homologous chromosomes.