Long-term exposure to fibroblast growth factor type 1 (FGF1) of fibroblast-like cells derived from neurofibromas of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1, from angiofibromas of patients with tuberous sclerosis, and from foreskin of unaffected donors resulted in the outgrowth of monosomy 6 in 7 out of 14 cell lines examined. After their initial detection by cytogenetic analysis, the proportion of cells which had lost one chromosome 6 was monitored by FISH using a-satellite probes specific for chromosome 6 and 7, and by PCR analysis of polymorphic microsatellite markers. Monosomy 6 exceeding baseline levels developed only in cultures exposed to FGF 1, and the emergence of monosomic cells could not be correlated with a given donor's genotype. During serial culture, the proportion of monosomic cells increased to over 90% in 5 of the 7 affected strains. A conspicuous change of cellular morphology from spindle-shaped to more epithelial-type cells was noted in monosomic cultures, even though none of them converted to a permanent cell line during the observation period. We conclude that long-term exposure of human fibroblast-like cell strains to FGF1 results in the emergence of monosomy 6 in 50% of the cultures so treated. A selective advantage for such monosomic cells is the most likely explanation for their steady increase during serial culture.