Complementation of a methotrexate uptake defect in Chinese hamster ovary cells by DNA-mediated gene transfer.

A methotrexate-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line deficient in methotrexate uptake has been complemented to methotrexate sensitivity by transfection with DNA isolated from either wild-type Chinese hamster ovary or human G2 cells. Primary and secondary transfectants regained the ability to take up methotrexate in a manner similar to that of wild-type cells, and in the case of those transfected with human DNA, to contain human-specific DNA sequences. The complementation by DNA-mediated gene transfer of this methotrexate-resistant phenotype provides a basis for the cloning of a gene involved in methotrexate uptake.