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Malignant transformation of NIH‐3T3 cells after subcutaneous co‐injection with a reconstituted basement membrane (matrigel)
Author(s) -
Fridman Rafael,
Sweeney Thomas M.,
Zain Mona,
Martin George R.,
Kleinman Hynda K.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910510513
Subject(s) - matrigel , 3t3 cells , collagenase , basement membrane , extracellular matrix , cell culture , gelatinase , cell , biology , chemistry , matrix metalloproteinase , transfection , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , medicine , enzyme , biochemistry , genetics
NIH‐3T3 cells are non‐tumorigenic when injected into athymic mice. If these cells are mixed with an extract of basement‐membrane proteins (matrigel) and injected s.c., they form locally invasive and highly vascularized tumors. Cells cultured from the NIH‐3T3‐matrigel‐induced tumors showed a transformed phenotype and lacked contact inhibition. When cultured in a gel of matrigel, they proliferated and formed branched and invasive colonies. In contrast, the parental NIH‐3T3 cells cultured on matrigel remained as cell aggregates and were not invasive. I.V. injections of the tumor‐derived NIH‐3T3 cells produced many colonies on the surface of the lungs, whereas the parental NIH‐3T3 cells were not metastatic. Zymographic analysis of the conditioned media obtained from both the tumor‐derived and parental NIH‐3T3 cells demonstrated higher amounts of the 72‐kDa gelatinase (type‐IV collagenase) enzyme in the tumor‐derived cells. Also, tumorderived NIH‐3T3 cells, but not parental NIH‐3T3 cells, secreted the 92‐kDa type‐IV collagenase. These studies suggest that the interaction of pre‐malignant NIH‐3T3 cells with extracellular matrix components may contribute to the process of tumor progression. © 1992 Wifey‐Liss, Inc.