Increased levels of alpha V-associated integrins in association with growth inhibition of cultured tumor cells by bromodeoxyuridine.

Treatment of three small-round-cell-tumor cell lines, TC-32 (peripheral neuroepithelioma), 6647 (Ewing's sarcoma), and GOTO (neuroblastoma), with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) (5 micrograms/ml) for 6 days markedly inhibited cell growth in both culture medium and soft agar and induced morphological alteration into large flat cells. These BrdU-treated cells showed markedly increased levels of alpha V-associated integrins, including alpha V beta 3, and no uniform changes in other beta 1 subfamilies (alpha 1-6). Cell attachment to vitronectin was found to be increased in these BrdU-treated cells. These results suggest that increased levels of alpha V-associated integrins are associated with growth inhibition of cultured tumor cells induced by BrdU.