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SV 40 ‐transformed human cells fail to grow in zinc concentrations which permit normal human fibroblast proliferation
Author(s) -
Epstein J.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of cellular physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.529
H-Index - 174
eISSN - 1097-4652
pISSN - 0021-9541
DOI - 10.1002/jcp.1041100104
Subject(s) - zinc , metallothionein , fibroblast , in vitro , cell growth , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , cell culture , chemistry , genetics , organic chemistry
Zinc is a metal known to be required for normal growth of both cells and organisms. When normal and SV 40 ‐transformed human tumor cells are plated and grown in medium containg zinc sulfate, a significant fraction of the transformed cells fail to grow at zinc concentrations which are relatively nontoxic to the normal fibroblasts. Although cultured cells respond to certain metallic ions by incresing their metallothionein content, no difference in the ability of normal and transformed cells to produce metallothionein in response to zinc exposure could be detected, thus ruling out this mechanism as a basic for the differing abilities of the cells to grwo in zinc in vitro. These results suggest that zinc may be capable of differntially regulating the growth of normal and SV 40− transformed human fibroblasts.