Suppression of the neoplastic state with the acquisition of specialized functions in cells, tissues, and organs of crown gall teratomas of tobacco.

The neoplastic state in cells of tissues and organs that develop from cloned lines of crown gall teratomas of tobacco may be completely but reversibly suppressed. Stems and leaves found on teratoma shoots may appear morphologically normal and such organs contain all of the specialized cell types and are histologically and functionally indistinguishable from those found in normal tobacco shoots of comparable age. When however, specialized cells of several different kinds that are present in stems and leaves of the teratomas are excised from the plant and grown on a basic culture medium they again assume their neoplastic properties. The results of this study indicate that the morphogenetic factors and mechanisms that govern so precisely growth, cellular differentiation, and organogenesis during the normal course of development can completely suppress the tumorous state, leading to the formation of cells, tissues, and organs that appear normal in every respect but are, in fact, inherently neoplastic. Whether the normal or tumor phenotype is expressed appears to depend on the activation or repression of select biosynthetic systems, one of which, the auxin sytems, has been identified here.