Inverse correlation between cell-surface adhesiveness and malignancy in mouse fibroblastoid cell lines.

The correlation between tumorigenicity and cell-surface adhesiveness was investigated in eight mouse fibroblastoid cell lines. Four of the lines (Mc 11-Mc 15) were derived from mouse MC-induced fibrosarcomas, two were derivatives of L cells (A9, A9HT), and two (clone 3 and clone 7 H7F4) were obtained by fusion of A9HT cells with normal diploid mouse lymphocytes. Quantitative comparison of cellular adhesive properties by the Latex particle adherence assay indicated that higher malignancy of some lines (Mc 11, 13, 14, A9HT cl 7 H7F4) was regularly associated with lower cell-surface adhesiveness and conversely, lower malignancy of the other lines (Mc 15, A9, cl 3) with high cell-surface adhesiveness. The differences in adhesiveness of cell lines of high and low malignancy were determined by cell subsets not attaching and Latex particles (24.6-61.9% of cells in highly and 4.6-12.0% in slightly tumorigenic lines) and cell subsets attaching more than 25 Latex particles per cell (14.6-17.2% in highly and 46.1-71.4% in less tumorigenic lines).