Chromosomal instability syndrome of total premature chromatid separation with mosaic variegated aneuploidy is defective in mitotic-spindle checkpoint

Skin fibroblast cells from two unrelated male infants with a chromosome-instability disorder were analyzed for their response to colcemid-induced mitotic-spindle checkpoint. The infants both had severe growth and developmental retardation, microcephaly, and Dandy-Walker anomaly; developed Wilms tumor; and one died at age 5 mo, the other at age 3 years. Their metaphases had total premature chromatid separation (total PCS) and mosaic variegated aneuploidy. Mitotic-index analysis of their cells showed the absence of mitotic block after the treatment with colcemid, a mitotic-spindle inhibitor. Bromodeoxyuridine-incorporation measurement and microscopic analysis indicated that cells treated with colcemid entered G1 and S phases without sister-chromatid segregation and cytokinesis. Preparations of short-term colcemid-treated cells contained those cells with chromosomes in total PCS and all or clusters of them encapsulated by nuclear membranes. Cell-cycle studies demonstrated the accumulation of cells with a DNA content of 8C. These findings indicate that the infants' cells were insensitive to the colcemid-induced mitotic-spindle checkpoint.