The mouse embryonal carcinoma (EC) line, PCC4, was used to construct a series of somatic cell hybrids which contain a single or a few human chromosomes. The hybrids all retained the EC phenotype as determined by morphology, expression of SSEA-1, lack of cell surface H-2 antigen and cytokeratin filaments, high alkaline phosphatase levels, the ability to form EC tumors ectopically in nude mice, and the ability to differentiate in response to retinoic acid. Constitutively differentiated cloned lines were derived from retinoic acid-treated hybrid cultures. Several derived lines had a phenotype indistinguishable from that of parietal endoderm cells, which includes synthesis of large amounts of laminin, type IV procollagen, and plasminogen activator. One differentiated line showed a fibroblast-like morphology. The differentiated lines derived from two of the hybrids, MCP6 and GEOC4, stably maintained the sole human chromosomal component present in the EC progenitors. These EC hybrids therefore provide a system to study developmental regulation of the introduced and stably maintained human genetic material derived from a variety of cell types.