79.interspecific somatic cell hybrids have proved very useful for
(1) Gene mapping (2) Genetic manipulation
(3) Gene structure (4) Gene function
Interspecific somatic cell hybrids, formed by fusing somatic cells from different species like human and rodent, have proved very useful for gene mapping by correlating retained human chromosomes with specific gene expression in hybrid panels. This technique exploits preferential loss of one species’ chromosomes, enabling precise assignment of genes to chromosomes through synteny analysis.
Option Analysis
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(1) Gene mapping: Correct. Interspecific hybrids create mapping panels where human chromosomes are retained or lost selectively; enzymes or markers expressed only with specific chromosomes allow gene localization, as seen in over 60 human gene assignments.
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(2) Genetic manipulation: Incorrect primary use. While hybrids aid biotechnology like hybridoma production, interspecific fusions focus more on mapping than direct manipulation like protoplast fusion in plants.
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(3) Gene structure: Incorrect. Hybrids do not directly reveal nucleotide sequences or intron-exon details; sequencing or other methods handle gene structure analysis.
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(4) Gene function: Partially useful via complementation but not primary. Hybrids map location over function, unlike knockouts or RNAi.
Technique Overview
Somatic cell hybridization fuses cells using agents like Sendai virus, forming heterokaryons that become synkaryons; rodent chromosomes are stable, but human ones are lost, creating variants for panel analysis. Markers like isozymes or DNA probes track chromosome-gene correlations, advancing human gene mapping significantly. Radiation hybrids refine this for finer resolution, as in HPRT gene mapping to Xq26.
