title: Membranes of high- and low-metastatic L tumor cell variants.
abstract: A model system of metastasis, L-929 fibroblasts and a derivative cell line, A-9 cells, was developed in order to compare the membrane properties of high- and low-metastatic cells cultured in chemically defined medium. The metastatic ability of L-929 and A-9 cells in athymic (nude) mice was examined. Both cell lines produced local tumors, but only L-929 fibroblasts metastasized to the lung. The plasma membranes of L-929 cells had lower sterol/phospholipid ratios and their phospholipids were more unsaturated than those of A-9 cells. The fluorescence probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and multifrequency phase and modulation fluorometry indicated that the plasma membranes of L-929 cells were less rigid (lower polarization and limiting anisotropy; shorter rotational relaxation time and lifetime) than those of A-9 cells. Thus, the membranes of highly metastatic cells had more unsaturated fatty acids, a lower sterol/phospholipid ratio and were consequently less ordered than those of their less malignant counterparts that formed only local tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinatti Medical Center, Ohio.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franklin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007739:L Cells / Q000166:cytology; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000032:analysis; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids