Expression of pertussis toxin adenosine diphosphate ribosyltransferase in a T-cell hybridoma reduces metastatic capacity

T-cell hybridomas are highly metastatic, and their in vitro invasiveness correlates with metastatic capacity. Invasion is blocked by pertussis toxin (PT), which adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylates G(i)-proteins, and we have provided evidence that the PT-sensitive signal stimulates leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1)-mediated adhesion required for invasion. PT pretreatment of TAM2D2 T-cell hybridoma cells reduced metastasis, but only to a limited extent. In the present study, we have transfected the cDNA of the PT ADP-ribosyltransferase S1 subunit into TAM2D2 cells to abrogate G(i)-protein function permanently. We report here a substantial reduction in the metastatic capacity of two transfectants, S05 and S09, in which 88% and 95% of the G(i)-proteins was ADP-ribosylated. Two-thirds of the mice injected with S09 cells were tumor-free. Metastasis to the liver was almost completely prevented and less metastases were formed in the spleen and kidneys. Metastasis formation by S05 cells in liver and spleen was much reduced, but in lymph nodes and peritoneal tissues, metastases occurred with a frequency similar to that of controls. We conclude that G(i)-proteins play an important role in T-cell hybridoma metastasis. We propose that the reduction in metastasis is due to diminished entry of tumor cells from the blood into tissues. (C) 1996 by The American Society of Hematology.