Mutually exclusive genetic signatures of human breast tumor cell lines with a common chromosomal marker.

Seventeen recently established human breast carcinoma cell lines of metastatic origin (MDA series), HeLa cells, and MCF-7 (a well-established breast carcinoma cell line) were studied by starch gel electrophoresis for allozymic differences at 17 enzyme loci. Ten loci proved to be informative in establishing unique genetic signatures for all of the lines with the exception of MDA-134 and -309, which had the same genetic signatures. The probability of these latter two lines being of independent origin and finding their similar genetic signatures by chance is 0.07. These studies enable us to conclude that the chromosomal marker shown to be common to these breast carcinoma cell lines of metastatic origin is not present because of cross-contamination of the lines with other long-term lines or each other.