Viral transformation models may be useful to detect and map human tumor suppressor genes. BK virus (BKV), a human papovavirus, readily transforms rodent cells but is unable to transform human cells, suggesting that oncosuppressive functions expressed in human cells control BKV oncogenic activity. We have transferred human chromosome 6 to BKV-transformed mouse pRPcT1ss1 cells. The great majority of the colonies growing in selective medium degenerated by senescence. Only five hybrid pRPcT1ss1/H6 clones maintained the immortalized phenotype of the recipient cell line. All the immortalized clones had two common regions of deletion involving bands 6q21-22 and the SOD2 gene in 6q25. Senescent colonies carried an intact chromosome 6. A specific human sequence in 6q21-22 was amplified by PCR in senescent cells, suggesting that this region harbors a gene inducing senescence. The SOD2 deletion confirms recent data on the role of the Mn-dependent superoxide dismutase in inhibition of proliferation. The monochromosomic hybrids bearing a deleted chromosome 6 showed a reverted phenotype in vitro and a significantly longer latency period before they were tumorigenic in nude mice, indicating the presence of a tumor suppressor gene in the residual regions of chromosome 6. Molecular mapping suggests that this gene is located in 6q27. The BKV transformation model detects genes inducing senescence and tumor suppressor genes on human chromosome 6 and may represent a useful system to isolate and clone such genes.