Requirement of mitoses for the reversal of X-inactivation in cell hybrids between murine embryonal carcinoma cells and normal female thymocytes

By means of a 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and acridine orange fluorescence staining method we studied reactivation of the inactivated X chromosome (Xi) in newly formed cell hybrids between the near-diploid HPRT-deficient OTF9-63 murine embryonal carcinoma cell (ECC) with an XO sex chromosome constitution and the normal female mouse thymocyte. As reported earlier, most near-tetraploid hybrid cells were ECC in morphology and retained all chromosomes from both parents including three X chromosomes. Synchronization of the late replicating X chromosome in such hybrid cells, indicative of reactivation, was found for the first time on Day 3, and the frequency of reactivation was attained 90% on Day 5. Inhibition of cell cycle progression either by methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) dihydrochloride, an inhibitor of polyamine metabolism, or by isoleucine-deficient medium after cell fusion delayed reactivation of the Xi, which implied that the number of cell division cycles traversed by individual cells rather than the length of time after cell fusion is critical for the reactivation. Double-labeling experiments using 3H]thymidine and BrdU indicated that hybrid cells had undergone three or four mitoses before reactivation of the Xi. Most probably reactivation of the Xi is consequent to reversion of the thymocyte genome to an undifferentiated state under the influence of OTF9 genome. DNA demethylation or dilution of Xi-specific factors by mitoses may be involved in this process.