DNA amplification and tumorigenicity of the human melanoma cell line MeWo.

Homogeneously staining regions (HSRs) were found in hypodiploid cells (40%) of a subline of the human melanoma cell line, MeWo, (MeWo-C) but were absent from the hypotetraploid cells (60%). Another subline (MeWo-B) was also shown to contain two populations of cells, 70% hypodiploid and 30% hypotetraploid. None of the MeWo-B cells contained HSRs, but all four cell types from both sublines shared marker chromosomes indicating their common origin. …