Cytological and cytogenetical studies on brain tumors

Summary In the cytogenetical investigation of 70 meningiomas 5 tumors with a Ph¹-like chromosome were found. In 3 tumors with 46 chromosomes this chromosome was identified to be indeed a deleted G chromosome. In the other 2 tumors the observed fragment could only be supposed to derive from a G chromosome, for further chromosomes were missing. The similarity of these findings to those in the chronic myelogenous leukemia enhances the hypothesis that the distal part of the long arm of one G chromosome influences the control of cell proliferation.

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Zusammenfassung Bei der cytogenetischen Untersuchung von 70 Meningeomen fanden sich 5 Tumoren mit einem Ph¹-ähnlichen Chromosom. In 3 Fällen konnte das fragliche Chromosom als ein deletiertes G-Chromosom identifiziert werden. Bei den restlichen 2 Tumoren konnte nur vermutet werden, daß es sich bei dem gefundenen zentrischen Fragment um ein verkürztes G-Chromosom handelt, da noch weitere Chromosomen fehlen. Die Ähnlichkeit des Befundes mit demjenigen bei der chronischen myeloischen Leukämie unterstützt die Hypothese, daß der distale Teil des langen Arms eines G-Chromosoms für die Kontrolle der Zellproliferation von Bedeutung ist.

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with assistance of W. Kofler and H. Büscher     

Cytological and cytogenetical studies on brain tumors

Summary The recently detected reciprocal translocations in chronic myeloic leucemia (CML) and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) made it necessary to clarify if meningiomas really show the described monosomy 22 or also a translocation.In 10 out of 12 meningiomas a total or partial translocation of the missing chromosome 22 to another chromosome could be ruled out by fluorescence banding analysis. Two meningiomas showed marker chromosomes of such a complex composition that it was impossible to decide if a 22 translocation was present or not.From these results it was concluded that meningioma cells, in contrast to CML and BL, show almost regularly a loss of a definitive part of their genome.

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Zusammenfassung Die erst kürzlich entdeckten reziproken Translokationen bei der chronisch myeloischen Leukämie (CML) und beim Burkitt-Lymphom (BL) machten es notwendig zu überprüfen, ob beim Meningeom tatsächlich die beschriebene Monosomie 22 oder ebenfalls eine Translokation vorliegt.In 10 von 12 Meningeomen konnte eine partielle oder totale Translokation des fehlenden Chromosoms 22 auf ein anderes Chromosom durch die Analyse der Fluorescenzbanden ausgeschlossen werden. 2 Meningeome zeigten Markerchromosomen von so komplexer Zusammensetzung, daß es nicht möglich war zu entscheiden, ob eine 22-Translokation vorliegt oder nicht.Aus den Ergebnissen wird geschlossen, daß Meningeomzellen, im Gegensatz zu CML und BL, fast regelmäßig den Verlust eines definierten Teils ihres Genoms aufweisen.

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Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 51; E 12).     

Cytological and cytogenetical studies on brain tumors

Summary In human meningiomas one G group chromosome is regularly missing. Using a fluorescence staining (Atebrine-acetic acid) in 5 meningiomas it could be shown that always one chromosome No. 22 was missing. In one meningioma we found an accessory stemline bearing a Ph¹-like chromosome, which could be identified to be a deleted No. 22. — The similarities of the chromosomal findings in meningiomas and the chronic myeloic leukemia are discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Als regelmäßiger Befund ist beim menschlichen Meningeom der Verlust eines G-Chromosoms nachzuweisen. Wir untersuchten mit Hilfe einer Fluorescenzfärbung (Atebrin-Essigsäure) 5 Meningeome und konnten zeigen, daß immer ein Chromosom Nr. 22 fehlt. In einem Meningeom, das eine zusätzliche Stammlinie mit einem Ph¹-ähnlichen Chromosom aufweist, wurde das Fragment als deletiertes Chromosom Nr. 22 identifiziert. — Die Ähnlichkeit der chromosomen-morphologischen Befunde beim Meningeom und bei der chromischen myeloischen Leukämie werden diskutiert.

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Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Za 32/9).     

Cytological and cytogenetical studies on brain tumors

Summary Twelve out of 88 cytogenetically examined meningiomas of female patients showed, in addition to the typical loss of a chromosome 22, a loss of 1 or more chromosomes of group C. Among them 8 tumors had less than 8% cells with Barr-body-like particles, whereas in one tumor 12% and in 3 others over 20% Barr bodies were found, which, based on control studies, were classified as sex-chromatin negative, partly positive, and positive, respectively. In one case the loss of an X chromosome was verified by Giemsa banding.In 6 out of 24 meningiomas of male origin, the chromosoma. morphology and association pattern strongly indicated that besides the loss of a chromosome 22, the Y chromosome was also missing. Moreover, the loss of the male sex chromosome could be ascertained in 4 tumors by the conspicuous absence of Y fluorescence in interphase nuclei and in metaphase plates after fluorescence staining.The findings are discussed in connection with the gonosomal loss in other human tumors and in old age.

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Zusammenfassung Unter 88 cytogenetisch untersuchten Meningeomen von Frauen wurden 12 Tumoren gefunden, bei denen außer dem für Meningeome typischen Verlust eines Chromosoms 22 auch ein oder mehrere Chromosomen der C-Gruppe verlorengegangen waren. Bei 8 dieser Tumoren konnte in Gewebekulturpräparaten nur in weniger als 8% der untersuchten Zellen Barr-body-ähnliche Kernstrukturen nachgewiesen werden, bei einem Tumor fanden sich 12% und bei 3 über 20% Barr-bodies. Auf Grund von Vergleichsuntersuchungen wurden 8 Tumoren als geschlechtschromatinnegativ, 1 Tumor als teilweise positiv und die übrigen 3 als eindeutig positiv eingestuft. Bei einem Meningeom konnte das Fehlen eines X-Chromosoms direkt mit der Giemsa-Bandentechnik nachgewiesen werden.Bei 6 von 24 Meningeomen männlicher Herkunft konnte auf Grund der Chromosomenmorphologie und des Assoziationsverhaltens sehr wahrscheinlich gemacht werden, daß außer dem Chromosom 22 auch das Y-Chromosom verlorengegangen war. Bei 4 dieser Tumoren konnte eine Fluorescenzfärbung durchgeführt werden, wobei das Fehlen einer Y-Fluorescenz in Interphasezellen und Metaphaseplatten nachweisbar war.Diese Befunde werden im Zusammenhang mit dem Geschlechtschromosomenverlust bei anderen menschlichen Tumoren und im hohen Lebensalter diskutiert.

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Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 51 E 12).

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Parts of this work are included in the doctoral thesis (M.D.) of H.S. at the University of Munich, Germany.     

Cytological and cytogenetical studies on brain tumors

Summary Among 70 human meningiomas cytogenetically investigated by us up till now, only 4 tumors showed a hyperdiploidy. 2 of them had a uniform stemline with 47 chromosomes (47,XX,G+ and 47, XY, C(?E)+); the other 2 meningiomas had a stemline with a modal number of 53 (55) chromosomes.

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Zusammenfassung Unter 70 menschlichen Meningiomen, die von uns bis jetzt untersucht worden sind, fanden sich lediglich 4 mit einem hyperdiploiden Chromosomensatz. 2 hatten eine einheitliche Stammlinie mit 47 Chromosomen (47, XX, G+ bzw. 47, XY, C(?E)+); die übrigen beiden Meningiome hatten Stammlinien mit einer sehr einheitlichen Modalzahl von 53 (55) Chromosomen.

     

Cytological and cytogenetical studies on brain tumors. V. Preferential loss of sex chromosomes in human meningiomas.

Twelve out of 88 cytogenetically examined meningiomas of female patients showed, in addition to the typical loss of a chromosome 22, a loss of 1 or more chromosomes of group C. Among them 8 tumors had less than 8% cells with Barr-body-like particles, whereas in one tumor 12% and in 3 others over 20% Barr bodies were found, which, based on control studies, were classified as sex-chromatin negative, partly positive, and positive, respectively. In one case the loss of an X chromosome was verified by Giemsa banding. In 6 out of 24 meningiomas of male origin, the chromosomal morphology and association pattern strongly indicated that besides the loss of a chromosome 22, the Y chromosome was also missing. Moreover, the loss of the male sex chromosome could be ascertained in 4 tumors by the conspicuous absence of Y fluorescence in interphase nuclei and in metaphase plates after fluorescence staining. The findings are discussed in connection with the gonosomal loss in other human tumors and in old age.     

No evidence for brain stem cooling during face fanning in humans.

The interpeak latencies (IPLs) of the acoustically evoked brain stem potentials depend on brain stem temperature. This was used to see whether face fanning during hyperthermia lowers brain stem temperature. In 15 subjects, three thermally stable conditions were maintained by a water bath. In each condition the IPLs were determined in 10 separate trials. In condition A esophageal temperature (Tes) was 36.9 +/- 0.3 degrees C and increased to 38.6 +/- 0.2 degrees C in condition B. In conditions A and B the head was enclosed in a ventilated hood (air temperature 38 degrees C, relative humidity 100%) to suppress any direct heat loss from the head. From conditions A to B the IPL at peaks I-V decreased by 0.146 ms/degrees C change in Tes, reflecting a change in brain stem temperature. In condition C the hood was removed and the face was fanned by a cold air-stream (8-15 degrees C, 4-10 m/s) to maximize direct heat loss from the head. Skin temperature at the sweating forehead decreased from 38 to 23 degrees C, whereas Tes in condition C was maintained at the same level as in condition B (38.5 +/- 0.2 degrees C). The IPL at peaks I-V showed no difference between conditions B and C. It is concluded that face fanning in hyperthermic subjects does not dissociate brain stem temperature from Tes.     

Aspiration biopsy of salivary gland tumors. VI. Morphologic studies on smears and histologic sections from mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

The cytologic findings in fine-needle aspiration biopsy of 24 primary mucoepidermoid carcinomas of salivary glands are reviewed. The morphologic details which permit recognition of this tumor in smears of the aspirate are described.     

Cytological basis for a tetraspory in Cupressus sempervirens L. megagametogenesis and its implications in genetic studies

 The processes of megasporogenesis and early megagametogenesis were cytologically investigated in Cupressus sempervirens L. in order to elucidate, at the cellular level, the origin of the megagametophyte. After pollination, sporogenous tissue developed in the chalazal region of the nucellus, but only one megaspore mother cell differentiated and divided meiotically without cell-wall formation. This led to the development of a cell with four nuclei which directly functioned as a megaspore. The C. sempervirens megagametophyte is thus tetrasporic, in contrast to the majority of conifers where the megagametophyte is monosporic. The consequenses of this observation are discussed from a genetics point of view. Received: 15 August 1997 / Accepted: 19 September 1997     

Cytological studies on Lemanea fluviatilis L. in the River Usk

Seasonal studies of nuclear phases in clonal and naturally occurring plants of Lemanea fluviatilis L. in the River Usk have shown that N = 18–19 and 2N = 36–38.

Carposporophytes, carpospores, the Chantransia-stage and lower cells of gametophyte thalli arising from the latter were all diploid. Meiosis occurred in the apical cells of the gametophytes and in some short, non-sporing gonimoblast branches, particularly induced during periods of low water temperatures. The advantages of using easily transportable rock units for such studies are discussed.     

Cytological studies on a polyhaploid ofCritesion iranicum obtained after hybridization withC. bulbosum

One polyhaploid (2n=3x=21) ofCritesion iranicum (von Bothmer) A. Löve (6x=42) was obtained following interspecific hybridization with tetraploidC. bulbosum (L.) A. Löve, presumably through chromosome elimination. Meiotic pairing in pollen mother cells averaged 2.43 univalents, 0.12 rod bivalents, 2.37 ring bivalents, and 4.53 trivalents. The data indicate that the three genomes fromC. iranicum are homologous with equal affinity. This confirms thatC. iranicum is an autohexaploid.     

Cytological evidence for assortment mitosis leading to loss of heterozygosity in rice.

In the root meristem cells of the rice line AMR, which causes loss of heterozygosity in its hybrids, both normal and assortment mitoses were observed. During normal mitosis, chromosomes did not form homologous pairs at metaphase; all chromosomes lined up at the equatorial plate and 2 chromatids of each chromosome disjoined at the centromere and moved toward opposite poles. During assortment mitosis, varying numbers of paired homologues were observed at mitotic metaphase. Two groups of 12 chromosomes separated and moved towards the opposite poles of daughter cells with few chromosomes having their chromatids separated at anaphase. These observations support the proposed mechanism that is responsible for early genotype fixation in rice hybrids involving AMR.