MALIGNANT BEHAVIOR OF 3 ADENOVIRUS-2-TRANSFORMED BRAIN-CELL LINES AND THEIR METHYL CELLULOSE-SELECTED SUB-CLONES

Three adenovirus‐2‐transformed rat embryo brain cell lines and their methylcellulose‐selected subclones were examined for fibronectin expression, anchorage‐independent growth, saturation density, T antigen expression and morphology. Tumorigenicity studies were carried out on newborn and ATS immunosuppressed syngeneic rats and congenitally athymic nude mice. With one exception the methyl‐cellulose sub‐clones contained significantly fewer fibronectin‐positive cells than the parent lines; a number of sub‐clones contained no fibronectin‐positive cells. Methylcellulose selection did not always alter cell morphology, saturation density or anchorage‐independent growth as compared with parent lines. However, the methylcellulose sub‐clones were considerably more malignant than the parent cell lines as measured by invasion and metastasis in nude mice. No in vitro characteristic correlated with malignant behaviour. Copyright © 1979 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company