CELL ROUNDING IN VARIANT-L SUBLINES INDUCED BY A MODERATE LOWERING OF THE TEMPERATURE

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 21  (6) , 703-+
Abstract
Several novel variants of mouse transformed L cells are described. A distinctive trait of these variants, isolated by different methods, is a rounding of the majority of cells under the influence of moderate cooling (at 18.degree. C for 30-60 min). In the serum-free medium, no rounding occurs. The rounding is presumably an active contraction, because it is inhibited by cytochalasin B. Comparison of the phenotype of wild-type and variant cells showed that the exposure of cultures at 18.degree. C leads to a disturbance of cell adhesion to the substratum in both cell lines. The intensive rounding of variant cells at 18.degree. C is due to some defect in their attachment to the substratum, which can be revealed not only at 18.degree., but also at 37.degree. C. By the selection procedure described in this paper, a large group of cell variants defective in adhesion to the substratum may be isolated.