Metastatic competence of BW5147 T-lymphoma cell lines is correlated with in vitro invasiveness, motility and F-actin content.
The aim of our study was to investigate whether the level of actin polymerization plays a role in the motile and tissue infiltrating behavior of malignant lymphoma cells. For a panel of cell lines derived from the murine BW5147 T-cell lymphoma, we had previously shown a correlation between experimental metastasis formation and in vitro monolayer invasion. We have analyzed the motility and the F-actin content of six nonmetastatic, noninvasive (meta-inv-) and five metastatic, invasive (meta+inv+) variants of BW5147. Fourier analysis of cell contours was used to quantify shape changes of cells. All meta+inv+ lines rapidly protruded and retracted pseudopodia, whereas only one of the six meta-inv- lines showed this type of motility. Flow cytometry of cells stained with fluorescein-labeled phalloidin showed that the motile meta+inv+ cell lines have a higher F-actin content than their nonmotile meta-inv- counterparts. The results indicate that in lymphoma cells a high level of actin polymerization is a prerequisite for the formation of pseudopodia, which in turn are necessary for infiltration of the cells into tissues, and eventually for efficient metastasis formation. A corollary of this conclusion is that regulation of actin polymerization is a possible target for intervention aimed at moderating the spread of malignant lymphoma.
Verschueren
H
H
Pasteur Institute van Brabant, Brussels, Belgium.
Van der Taelen
I
I
Dewit
J
J
De Braekeleer
J
J
De Baetselier
P
P
D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000199:Actins