Discrepancies among the metaphase, telophase, and the G₀/G₁ and G₂ DNA peaks of heteroploid cell lines

Heteroploid cell populations often show narrow peaks of G₀/G₁ and G₂/M DNA content and broadly distributed chromosome numbers. This was originally explained by the selective metaphase arrest of the cells that have non‐modal chromosome numbers. To test whether this explanation applies, we have measured the chromosome number distributions, as well as the G₀/G₁, G₂, metaphase (M), and telophase (T) DNA distributions, of the cell lines WCHE‐5, MCa‐11, and HL‐60. The WCHE‐5 cells had narrowly distributed chromosome numbers and G₀/G₁ G₂, M, and T DNA peaks. The MCa‐11 and HL‐60 cells also had narrowly distributed G₀/G₁ and G₂ DNA peaks, but broadly distributed chromosome numbers and M and T DNA peaks. The widths of the MCa‐11 and HL‐60 M‐ and T‐cell DNA peaks were similar to those of their chromosome number‐peaks, suggesting that all cells were completing mitosis, regardless of chromosome number or DNA content. Thus, selective metaphase arrest does not seem to be the cause of the narrow G₀/G₁ and G₂ DNA peaks of heteroploid cell populations.