Differentiation and tumorigenicity of human malignant melanocytes in relation to their culture conditions.
The effects of variations in the concentrations of L-cystine (Cys), L-methionine (Met), and L-glutamine (Glu) on the establishment of melanocyte cell lines obtained from a primary tumor and its metastasis in the same patient were studied. The special role of Glu was also studied in 4 lymph node metastases from other patients. Differentiation in vitro was dependent on the culture conditions, as assessed by morphologic and biochemical studies. Karyologic expression, doubling time, cloning efficiency, and tumorigenicity in nude BALB/c mice varied widely among the cell lines. Cys was an indispensable amino acid and Glu was not. Met and Glu were implicated in melanogenesis. From these observations arose the question of the accuracy of comparative results, concerning differentiation and tumorigenicity, that had been collected for cell lines obtained under different culture conditions.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002877:Chromosomes, Human; D003470:Culture Media; D003548:Cysteinyldopa / Q000032:analysis; D003553:Cystine / Q000502:physiology; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008715:Methionine / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D003470:Culture Media; D005973:Glutamine; D003548:Cysteinyldopa; D003553:Cystine; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D008715:Methionine