Contact Inhibition of Movement in the Cultures of Transformed Cells

Abstract

Results of cell-cell collisions were studied with the aid of time-lapse microcinematography in primary cultures of normal mouse-embryo fibroblast-like cells and in cultures of transformed mouse cells of two types: (a) primary fibroblast-like cells transformed by Moloney mouse sarcoma virus; (b) neoplastic fibroblasts of the CIM strain. Collisions of normal fibroblast-like cells and CIM cells in mixed cultures were also analyzed. Classification of the results of collisions was based on observation of the movements of the active cell edge during the first hour after the moment when this edge had contacted another cell. Three types of collision results were detected: halt of the active edge, overlapping, and underlapping. The relative number of overlappings was not higher and that of halts not lower in the cultures of transformed cells as compared with those of normal cells. Analysis of the collisions of normal fibroblasts with transformed cells gave similar results. Thus, the altered morphology of the cultures of these transformed cells cannot be explained by loss of contact inhibition of movement leading to increased ability of cells to move over the surfaces of other cells after collision.