Monoclonal antibodies specific for human chromosome 5 obtained with a monochromosomal hybrid can be used to sort out cells containing the chromosome with a FACS.

Using a human-mouse monochromosomal hybrid, BG15-6, that contains an intact human chromosome 5, we isolated four monoclonal antibodies, 2A10, 3H9, 5G9, and 6G12, as chromosome marker antibodies recognizing cell surface antigens specific for human chromosome 5. The binding patterns of these antibodies to BG15 subclones containing fragments of human chromosome 5 indicated that 2A10, 3H9, and 6G12 recognized the antigens produced by genes located on 5pter-q22, and that 5G9 recognized the antigen produced by a gene located on 5q23. Cells containing human chromosome 5 were very effectively sorted in a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) using monoclonal antibody 6G12. This method for sorting cells containing human chromosome 5 or an appropriate fragment of this chromosome from among human-rodent hybrid cells should be very useful in studies on gene expression, gene cloning and gene mapping.