Different Chinese hamster cell lines express a G1 period for different reasons.

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that the absence of G1(G1-condition) in two lines of Chinese hamster cells is dominant over the presence of G1(G1+condition) in a variety of intraspecific cell hybrids. G1+ mutants or variants cna be isolated from G1- cells following mutagenesis and selection. These G1+ mutants fall into multiple complementation groups based on their abilities to form G1- cell hybrids with one another. This is evidence that different mutants have G1 intervals for different reasons, possibly as the result of deficiencies in functions necessary for G1- cell cycles. In this report we have used cell hybrid analysis to ask whether cells of different, naturally occurring G1+ lines of Chinese hamster are able to complement to produce G1- hybrids. We have found three complementation groups among the four G1+ cell lines examined. Therefore, these lines define three different reasons or bases for the existence of a G1 interval. These results lead us to suggest that multiple requirements must be met for these cells to start the S period, but that failure to fulfill only a single and different requirement is responsible for the presence of a G1 interval in any given cell line.