Lipid composition of Balb/c3T3, SV3T3, and Concanavalin A-selected revertant cells grown in media containing lipid-depleted serum.

The effects of growth in media supplemented with lipid-depleted fetal calf serum (LDS-media) on morphology, saturation density, and lipid composition were studied in Balb/c3T3, SV3T3, and Concanavalin A selected SV3T3 revertant cells (SV3T3 Rev cells). Cells grown in media containing complete fetal calf serum (FCS-medium) or reconstituted FCS (RS-medium) were used as controls. Growth in LDS-media reduced saturation densities of both SV3T3 and SV3T3 Rev cells while it affected only slightly the saturation density of normal parental cells. Similar inhibitory effects on growth were also induced by exposure of RS-medium. Growth in LDS-medium did not change the typical morphology of the three cell lines. 3T3, SV3T3, and SV3T3 Rev cells grown in LDS-medium showed an accumulation of triacylglycerols and free fatty acids together with a reduction of free cholesterol. All these changes were also present, however, in cells grown in these changes were also present, however, in cells grown in RS-Medium. Growth in LDS-medium induced an increase of 16:1 and 18:1, a decrease of 20:4, and an accumulation of 20:3 (n-9) in phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol + phosphatidylserine of 3T3 cells. By contrast, only a slight accumulation of 20:3 (n-9) accompanied by a moderate increase of monoenoic acids was found in the phospholipids of SV3T3 cells grown in LDS-medium. SV3T3 Rev cells grown in LDS-medium showed changes in phospholipid fatty acids composition similar to those found in SV3T3 cells grown under the same conditions.