Cell lines from human colon carcinoma with unusual cell products, double minutes, and homogeneously staining regions.

Two human colon carcinoma cell lines derived from the same tumor specimen were characterized. The cell lines, COLO 320 and COLO 321, have amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation cell properties, such as ectopic production of norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and parathyroid hormone. The cells were morphologically different from most colon cell lines. Double minutes (DM) were initially present in nearly 100% of the metaphases. In a few subcultures of COLO 320, DM have persisted for 1.5 years. However, in COLO 321 and some subcultures of COLO 320, a loss of DM was observed and new marker chromosomes with homogeneously staining regions were observed. These unusual cell lines should be valuable for studies of apudomas of the colon and the cytogenetic phenomena of DM and homogeneously staining regions.