The distribution of actin cables and microtubules in hybrids between malignant and non-malignant cells, and in tumours derived from them.

Cell fusion provides a genetic test for linkage between cellular phenotypic markers and malignancy. We have examined hybrid cells in which malignancy is suppressed and malignant segregants derived from them, to test whether the reappearance of malignancy is regularly associated with loss or abnormality of actin cables or microtubules. Immunofluorescence studies did not reveal any difference between the malignant and non-malignant hybrids in the number and distribution of microtubules that they contained. All the hybrids, whether tumorigenic or not, contained elaborate patterns of cytoplasmic microtubules. Furthermore, no consistent relationship was observed between the absence of actin cables and malignancy.