title: Changes in cell surface charge and transmembrane potential accompanying neoplastic transformation of rat kidney cells.
abstract: Free flow electrophoresis measurements have been used to determine the surface charge density of normal rat kidney (NRK) cells and a clone of NRK, designated as 6m2, that exhibit a transformed phenotype at 33 degrees C and a non-transformed phenotype at 39 degrees C. A clone of 6m2, designated 54-5A4, which is transformed at both 33 degrees C and 39 degrees C was also studied. A surface charge density of -1.42 microC/cm2 was obtained for the NRK and non-transformed 6m2 cells at 39 degrees C, whereas at 33 degrees C values of -1.85 and -1.78 microC/cm2 were determined for the transformed 6m2 and 54-5A4 cells, respectively. It was found that 72% of the increased charge that appeared on the transformed 6m2 cells compared with the non-transformed 6m2 cells was RNAase sensitive. The time-dependent decrease in surface charge that accompanied the shift of the 6m2 cells from their transformed to non-transformed state was found to mirror the increase in transmembrane potential previously reported using a fluorescent dye technique, and was also comparable to the reported temporal changes in their morphology and virally-coded protein content.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004586:Electrophoresis; D004594:Electrophysiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051381:Rats; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000494:pharmacology; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D012260:Ribonucleases