Deletion mapping in neuroblastoma cell lines suggests two distinct tumor suppressor genes in the 1p35-36 region, only one of which is associated with N-myc amplification.

Neuroblastoma is characterized by deletions of the short arm of chromosome 1 (1p) and amplification of the N-myc oncogene. We have made somatic cell hybrids of two human neuroblastoma cell lines, one with and one without N-myc expression and amplification. The expression of the amplified N-myc gene is completely switched off in the hybrids. This suggests that N-myc expression results from loss of a repressor function. As N-myc amplification is associated with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of 1p36, we analysed 1p deletions in 16 neuroblastoma cell lines. The seven cell lines without N-myc amplification have no deletions or relatively small deletions, with an SRO on 1p36.23-33. This suggests that a tumor suppressor gene maps in this region. All nine cell lines with N-myc amplification have larger deletions, with an SRO from 1p35-36.1 to the telomere. This suggests that a second tumor suppressor gene which is associated with N-myc amplification maps more proximally. Fine mapping of 1p36 deletions in the two cell lines of the fusion experiment suggests that the distal locus is not a repressor of N-myc expression, but the more proximal locus could be a candidate for this function.