Cytochalasin B induces abnormal chromosome segregation in Friend erythroleukaemia cells.

Friend erythroleukaemia cells were made binucleate by brief exposure to cytochalasin B (CB). The binucleate cells were then allowed to grow in the absence of the CB. They produced pseudotetraploid derivatives which subsequently showed considerable variation in chromosome number. Cells with abnormal chromosome numbers failed to form clones, and disappeared from the culture. This is in marked contrast to previously reported stable pseudotetraploid cells arising in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells after CB treatment.