Characterization of a new human cell line derived from a xenografted embryonal carcinoma

Summary A human cell line has been established from a transplantable xenografted human testicular tumor, which, both in the original tumor and in the xenograft, exhibited the histological characteristics of an undifferentiated malignant teratoma (embryonal cell carcinoma). The cells in culture were undifferentiated by biochemical, morphological, and ultrastructural criteria, growing as small islands of cells that tended to form aggregates at high density. The cells showed some variation in chromosome number with 30 to 40% of the cells having a normal human karyotype. The cells expressed high levels of alkaline phosphatase, which by heat inactivation and inhibition studies was 40 to 50% placental type alkaline phosphatase. None of the cultures produced human chorionic gonadotrophin, alphafetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, or fibronectin, although at high cell densities plasminogen activator could be detected at low levels. Cell surface studies showed that the cells shared antigens with the murine embryonal carcinoma cell line F9, expressedβ ₂-microglobulin at very low and variable levels, and bound the lectin peanut agglutinin. These studies suggest that this cell line has some of the characteristics described for murine embryonal carcinoma cell lines.     

Contact-stimulated proliferation of cultured mouse epidermal cells by 3T3 feeder layers: Inhibition of proliferation by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)

Mouse epidermal cells can be subcultured at 31°C onto an irradiated BALB/c 3T3 clone A31 feeder layer. A31 cells (supposedly derived from embryonic fibroblasts) were found to be specifically required for the optimal production of keratinizing epidermal colonies in secondary culture. This effect was not transmitted through the medium nor by the culture surface, since A31 cells plated on one end of a flask did not stimulate epidermal cell proliferation at the other end, even if the other end had previously held A31 cells. Epidermal cell contact with metabolizing A31 cells was probably necessary for the effect; fixed or freeze-thawed A31 cells were ineffective. The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, recently shown to interfere with contact-mediated transfer of label (metabolic cooperation) between Swiss 3T3 cells and cells of an established epidermal line in vitro, also blocked epidermal colony formation. The A31-epidermal cell interaction is apparently not a typical mesenchymal-epithelial interaction, since the basement membrane would prevent this contact in intact skin.     

Establishment of a CSF-producing cell line from a human gastric carcinoma and characteristics of the CSF produced by that cell line

A human cell line producing colony-stimulating factor has been established in vitro from a human gastric carcinoma. The cell line was transplantable into nude mice which developed a marked neutrophilia. The cell line has been maintained for three years. The cells grew in a monolayered sheet and produced colony-stimulating factors that enhanced the formation of granulocyte and monocyte colonies in vitro with mouse bone marrow cells as the target and granulocyte colonies with human bone marrow cells as the target.     

Ascorbate-independent proline hydroxylation resulting from viral transformation of Balb 3T3 cells and unaffected by dibutyryl cAMP treatment.

Collagen synthesis, hydroxylation of proline in collagen, and collagen secretion were studied in the contact-inhibited mouse fibroblast line, Balb 3T3; the Kirsten virus transformed line, Ki-3T3; and dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP)-treated Ki-3T3 cells, during the various phases of the growth cycle. Transformed cells in both logarithmic and stationary phase produced lower levels of collagen than the parent line but 85-90% of the theoretically possible hydroxyproline residues of the collagen were formed even when ascorbic acid was not added to the culture medium. Moreover, the transformed cells showed only about a 20% increase of collagen secretion upon addition of ascorbate. This was in contrast to the ascorbate requirement for maximal proline hydroxylation and the 2-3 fold stimulation of collagen secretion by ascorbate in the parent Balb 3T3 cells. Although dbcAMP treatment caused Ki-3T3 cells to assume a more normal morphology and increased the relative rate of collagen synthesis to levels similar to that of 3T3, such treatment did not restore an ascorbate requirement for proline hydroxylation or collagen secretion. The specific activity of the enzyme prolyl hydroxylase also was not affected by dbcAMP treatment although collagen synthesis was increased by such treatment. In addition, it was found that ascorbic acid was not effective in activating prolyl hydroxylase derived from Ki-3T3 or dbcAMP-treated Ki-3T3 cell cultures either in logarithmic phase or stationary phase. Ki-3T3 cultures did not accumulate ascorbic acid in cells or medium nor was ascorbic acid synthesized from the precursor 14C-glucuronate in cell homogenates. The results suggest that virally transformed Balb 3T3 cells acquire the capacity to synthesize a reducing cofactor for prolyl hydroxylase and that this function may be related to the increased glycolytic metabolism of these cells since neither cellular metabolism nor ascrobate-independent hydroxylation was altered by treatment with dbcAMP.     

Alloreactive T cells from individual soft agar colonies specific for guinea pig Ia antigens. II. Cellular and molecular requirements for optimal proliferative responses

We have investigated the cellular and molecular requirement for optimal proliferative responses of several alloreactive T cell lines that were derived from individual soft agar colonies and were specific for guinea pig Ia antigens. Optimal proliferation of several colonies was observed in cultures containing purified allogeneic macrophages and growth factor(s) present in supernatant fluids of Con A-activated T cells (Con A-S). Significant proliferative responses of these alloreactive T cell colonies were also routinely detected in cultures only supplemented with unfractionated irradiated allogeneic peritoneal exudate cell (PEC). The T cell component of the stimulator cell population was crucial for these responses by producing necessary growth factor(s) endogenously in the culture. Thus, 2 signals, allogeneic Ia antigens and growth factor(s), were required for optimal proliferative responses of these alloreactive T cell colonies. Furthermore, macrophage-associated Ia antigen was more efficient than B cell-associated Ia for these responses. The requirement for allogeneic Ia antigen was not absolute, since the colonies could easily be expanded when the cultures were supplemented with irradiated syngeneic PEC and the T cell mitogens, Con A or PHA. The effect of the mitogen was mediated via the T cells in the irradiated PEC, since removal of the T cells from these PEC markedly reduced the responses. Thus, it is likely that a nonspecific signal(s) presumably from T cells can promote proliferation of alloreactive T cell colonies in the absence of allogeneic Ia antigen. These results suggest 2 mechanisms of activation of these alloreactive T cells.     

Isolation and characterization of a multipotent clone of human embryonal carcinoma cells

Histopathological studies suggest that the stem cells of human teratomas may be classified into two major categories: nullipotent stem cells, and multipotent stem cells, capable both of self-renewal and differentiation into a wide range of somatic and extraembryonic cell types. We have isolated a multipotent stem cell clone from the human teratoma cell line GCT 27, and compared its properties to a nullipotent clone derived from the same strain. The multipotent clone GCT 27 X-1 gave rise to colonies of mixed cell morphology in vitro. Analysis of cell surface, cytostructural and extracellular matrix markers in GCT 27 X-1 cells showed that the stem cells of this line were very similar in phenotype to nullipotent cells. The two cell clones were predominantly hypotriploid, and contained several marker chromosomes in common. GCT 27 X-1 was feeder-cell-dependent for continuous growth in vitro; removal of the feeder layer resulted in differentiation of the stem cells into a variety of cell types, some with characteristics of extraembryonic endoderm, others showing neuronal properties. When transplanted into nude mice, GCT 27 X-1 cells gave rise to teratocarcinomas containing embryonal carcinoma stem cells, and many other cell types: yolk sac carcinoma cells; cells producing alphafetoprotein or human chorionic gonadotrophin; glandular, columnar, cuboidal, and squamous epithelium; primitive mesenchyme and cartilage; neuroectodermal cells. Nullipotent GCT 27 C-1 cells could form colonies in the absence of feeder layers, but multipotent GCT 27 X-1 cells could not. While a range of known growth factors and related substances failed to substitute for feeder layers in supporting the growth of GCT 27 X-1 stem cells, supernatants from yolk sac carcinoma cell line GCT 44 could partially replace the feeder cell requirement. Thus, the results revealed a basic difference in growth control between these multipotent and nullipotent human embryonal carcinoma cells, and suggested a possible paracrine regulatory pathway between multipotent stem cells and yolk sac carcinoma cells.     

Induction of cell proliferation by a migration factor released from a transformed cell line

A protein released by an invasive tumour cell line (SV28) was purified. It then had 20000 times the activity of serum in stimulating the migration of 3T3 cells. At each step in the purification there was a parallel activity that stimulated proliferation of 3T3 cells. The purified material was shown to stimulate proliferation of normal 3T3 cells at low serum concentrations where only transformed 3T3 cells proliferate and to stimulate the growth of 3T3 cultures to above their normal saturation density. The one substance could therefore account for the growth and the invasiveness of the SV28 cells. At limiting dilution of the protein only the cells along the edge of a wounded monolayer incorporate [³H]TdR. The significance of this edge effect to contact inhibition and the possible role of the diffusion boundary layer are discussed.     

The contribution of cell death to medium-released fractions of cell cultures

Summary Cell death was estimated by prelabeling primary chick embryo skeletal muscle cell cultures with [³H]thymidine and by subsequently measuring the release of label into complete culture medium or serum-and embryo-extract-free medium for a 6 h period. Cultures of the established muscle cell line L6 and the fibroblastic cell line 3T3 were used for comparative purposes. Comparison of the nigrosin exclusion test with the thymidine release test shows that the former underestimates cell death because it measures only the instantaneously occurring cell death. The [³H]thymidine release test estimates the cumulative amount of cell death. From cumulative cell death estimates it is calculated that 12.0 and 17.8% of the³H-fucosylated medium-released fractions from primary cell cultures are the result of cell death contamination when release occurs in complete or macromolecule-free media, respectively. High speed centrifugation is shown to eliminate most contamination from cell death. Evidence is presented that the absence of macromolecules in the culture medium has little effect on the release process. Contamination of the released fraction resulting from cell death is much less in the established cell lines than in the primary cells. It is concluded that the release process can be studied in primary muscle cell cultures and especially in established cell lines if adequate precautions are taken and if corrections for cell death contamination are taken into account. This research benefited from use of the Cell Culture Facility supported by National Cancer Institute Grant CA 14733. This research was supported by a Muscular Dystrophy Association Grant to Dr. Heinz Herrmann and by American Cancer Society Grant RDP 8 and was submitted in partial fulfillmant of a Ph.D. degree at the University of Connecticut (T. C. Doetschman).     

Zajdela hepatoma cells cultured in vitro

The goal of this work was to study cellular mechanisms of tumor progression and metastasizing. As a result of explantation of cells of rat Zajdela ascitic hepatoma, we obtained two transplantable cell cultures—monolayer (ZH-ad) and suspension (ZH-fl)—that differ in levels of cell differentiation and tumorigenicity. By using tumor-specific immune serum, we revealed tumor-associated antigens, synthesis of which is reduced or inhibited in ZH-ad cells, in outer membranes of the ZH-fl cells. Intraperitoneal injection into rat of 0.5–12 × 10⁶ ZH-fl cells leads to development of an ascitic tumor and death of 100% of animals, whereas, in the case of administration of ZH-ad cells, to achieve a tumorigenic effect, the minimal dose needs to be elevated to 20 × 10⁶ cells. Clonogenic analysis of the ZH-fl cells revealed three types of the formed clones—nonadhesive sphere colonies and two types of monolayer clones differing in proliferative potential, shape of colonies, and cell composition. Upon reaching a critical size, the spheres disintegrated, with separation of single cells and islands of different sizes, some of them being attached with monolayer formation. Three clonal cell lines were obtained: 1C as a result of expansion of a spherical clone and 4G and 10E from monolayer clones. We established that there is tumorigenicity of the 1C cell line, which, at a dose of 107 cells, led to the development of ascites and to the death of 50% of animals. The presented results indicate the existence in the ZH-fl cell population of tumor-initiating cells generating spherical clones—floating multicellular islets that, in culturing in the complete growth medium, are partly differentiated and are attached with monolayer formation.     

Biochemical criteria for the in vitro differentiation of embryoid bodies produced by a transplantable teratoma of mice. The production of acetylcholine esterase and creatine phosphokinase by teratoma cells

When embryoid bodies are grown in suspension culture in vitro, they undergo only a limited amount of morphological development. When these same embryoid bodies are permitted to attach to the surface of a culture dish, a wide variety of new morphological cell types appear. Suspension cultures of embryoid bodies do not contain significant detectable levels of acetylcholine esterase or creatine phosphokinase. These same enzymes however are produced in cell cultures derived from embryoid bodies attached to the culture dish surface. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis has been employed to demonstrate that the electrophoretic form of creatine phosphokinase produced by teratoma cells in culture is the brain form of the enzyme. Solid transplantable tumors containing only embryonal carcinoma cells (stem cells) do not contain either of these enzymatic activities. Well differentiated transplantable teratomas contain both enzymes.     

Establishment of a novel factor-dependent myeloid cell line from primary cultures of mouse bone marrow

We describe here a novel myelomonocytic cell line (OTT1) obtained from primary cultures of mouse bone marrow cells infected with a retroviral vector carrying the mouse interleukin (IL)-1 alpha gene. OTT1 cells are dependent for their survival and proliferation on IL-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or, unexpectedly, IL-5. Despite their IL-5 dependency, OTT1 cells form colonies showing predominantly monocyte maturation when plated in methylcellulose. It is suggested that constitutive expression of the exogenous IL-1 alpha gene may predispose to a monocytic phenotype. OTT1 cells should be a useful experimental model to investigate the molecular mechanisms of IL-5 signal transduction and the possible interrelationships between this signal pathway and those utilized by IL-3 and GM-CSF.     

Growth of functional primary cultures of kidney epithelial cells in defined medium

Primary cultures of baby mouse kidney epithelial cells can grow without fibroblast overgrowth in a hormone-supplemented serum-free medium (Medium K-1) designed for an established kidney epithelial cell line, MDCK. The five supplements in Medium K-1 are insulin, transferrin, PGE1, T3, and hydrocortisone. Medium K-1 also supports the growth of kidney epithelial cell cultures from a number of animals, including man, without fibroblast overgrowth. Outgrowth of kidney epithelial cells from kidney explants was also observed with Medium K-1. Thus, the medium appears to be selective for epithelial cell growth. The physiological properties of primary cultures of baby mouse kidney epithelial cells were studied in detail. Baby mouse kidney epithelial cells grew at equal rates (0.5 doublings/day) in Medium K-1 and serum-supplemented medium. Medium K-1 also supported the formation of baby mouse kidney epithelial colonies at low cell densities. The dependence of baby mouse kidney epithelial colony formation upon the five factors in Medium K-1 was examined. These studies indicated that the formation of baby mouse kidney epithelial colonies in defined medium depended upon all the five supplements in Medium K-1, in a manner similar, although not identical, to MDCK colonies. Primary cultures of baby mouse kidney epithelial cells grown in Medium K-1 retained kidney cell-associated properties, including the ability to form multicellular domes, a phenomenon associated with transepithelial salt transport. Amiloride-sensitive Na+ uptake and the mucosal surface enzyme leucine aminopeptidase were also observed in baby mouse kidney cultures. Similar functions were observed in MDCK monolayers.     

High levels of the type III inorganic phosphate transporter PiT1 (SLC20A1) can confer faster cell adhesion

The inorganic phosphate transporter PiT1 (SLC20A1) is ubiquitously expressed in mammalian cells. We recently showed that overexpression of human PiT1 was sufficient to increase proliferation of two strict density-inhibited cell lines, murine fibroblastic NIH3T3 and pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, and allowed the cultures to grow to higher cell densities. In addition, upon transformation NIH3T3 cells showed increased ability to form colonies in soft agar. The cellular regulation of PiT1 expression supports that cells utilize the PiT1 levels to control proliferation, with non-proliferating cells showing the lowest PiT1 mRNA levels. The mechanism behind the role of PiT1 in increased cell proliferation is not known. We, however, found that compared to control cells, cultures of NIH3T3 cells overexpressing PiT1 upon seeding showed increased cell number after 24 h and had shifted more cells from G0/G1 to S+G2/M within 12 h, suggesting that an early event may play a role. We here show that expression of human PiT1 in NIH3T3 cells led to faster cell adhesion; this effect was not cell type specific in that it was also observed when expressing human PiT1 in MC3T3-E1 cells. We also show for NIH3T3 that PiT1 overexpression led to faster cell spreading. The final total numbers of attached cells did, however, not differ between cultures of PiT1 overexpressing cells and control cells of neither cell type. We suggest that the PiT1-mediated fast adhesion potentials allow the cells to go faster out of G0/G1 and thereby contribute to their proliferative advantage within the first 24 h after seeding.     

Emergence of hamster fibroblast tumors in nude mice—evidence for in vivo selection leading to loss of growth factor requirement

The Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cell line (CC139) has high anchorage dependence for growth and has retained the high serum dependence of secondary cultures of adult fibroblasts. This cell line is tumorigenic in nude mice; however, the resulting tumor cells have different properties than those of the cell line injected. The tumor-derived cells had strongly reduced or even lost both the high anchorage and the high serum dependence of CC139 cells. This finding suggests that an in vivo selection is necessary for CC139 cells to acquire the malignant phenotype. After mutagenesis, which increases the frequency of CC139 colony formation in agarose up to 8-fold, we selected and analyzed 15 anchorage-independent colonies. No correlation between the colony-forming ability in agarose and serum-growth factor requirement for DNA synthesis was observed. Each of these clones were injected into nude mice and the growth factor dependence of the ensuing tumor cells was compared to that of corresponding injected cells. All of the anchorage-independent colonies with the exception of one (A71), had acquired in vivo a stable phenotype allowing for partial or total escape of growth factor requirement. A71, the only clone which maintained the same growth factor requirement after two passages in vivo (A71 T1 and A71 T2) had already gained, in vitro, the minimal growth factor “relaxation” compatible with in vivo growth. A71 and A71 T1 tumor cells arrested in G₀/G₁ can reinitiate DNA synthesis in the presence of mouse plasma, low concentrations of serum, or thrombin. The fact that none of the tumors analyzed (more than 20) were found to have retained the high serum dependence of CC139 cells strongly suggests that the partial loss of serum growth factor requirement acquired in vivo is an essential malignant character for bypassing the hormonal growth restraints imposed by the host upon CC139 cells.     

Fibronectin Fibrils and Growth Factors Stimulate Anchorage-Independent Growth of a Murine Mammary Carcinoma

Stromal cells are important regulators of mammary carcinoma growth and metastasis. We have previously shown that a 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell line secretes hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which stimulates proliferation of a murine mammary carcinoma (SP1) in monolayer cultures (DNA Cell Biol.13, 1189–1897, 1994). We now examine the role of growth factors and the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin in stimulation of anchorage-independent growth of SP1 cells. Purified transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) stimulated significant colony growth in soft agar cultures, whereas HGF had a lesser effect. Analysis by confocal microscopy revealed that carcinoma cell colonies contained extracellular microfibrils composed of fibronectin. Partial depletion of fibronectin from 7% FBS/agar cultures reduced the number of colonies; colony growth could be recovered by adding back exogenous fibronectin. Addition of the 70-kDa N-terminal fragment of fibronectin, which inhibits fibronectin fibril formation, reduced growth of SP1 cell colonies, but an 85-kDa fragment containing the cell binding domain did not inhibit colony growth. These findings indicate that deposition of extracellular fibronectin fibrils is necessary, but not sufficient, for anchorage-independent growth of SP1 mammary carcinoma cells; growth factors are also required. SP1 cells had less fibronectin mRNA and secreted less fibronectin protein under anchorage-independent conditions than under anchorage-dependent conditions, as determined by Northern blotting and immunoprecipitation analysis. Thus, both growth factors (HGF and TGF-β) and fibronectin may be important regulators of paracrine stimulation by stromal cells of anchorage-independent growth of mammary carcinoma cells.     

Unequal cell division, growth regulation and colony size of mammalian cells: a mathematical model and analysis of experimental data.

This work describes mathematically the dynamics of expansion of cell populations from the initial division of single cells to colonies of several hundred cells. This stage of population growth is strongly influenced by stochastic (random) elements including, among others, cell death and quiescence. This results in a wide distribution of colony sizes. Experimental observations of the NIH3T3 cell line as well as for the NIH3T3 cell line transformed with the ras oncogene were obtained for this study. They include the number of cells in 4-day-old colonies initiated from single cells and measurements of sizes of sister cells after division, recorded in the 4-day-old colonies. The sister cell sizes were recorded in a way which enabled investigation of their interdependence. We developed a mathematical model which includes cell growth and unequal cell division, with three possible outcomes of each cell division: continued cell growth and division, quiescence, and cell death. The model is successful in reproducing experimental observations. It provides good fits to colony size distributions for both NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells and the same cells transformed with the rasEJ human cancer gene. The difference in colony size distributions could be fitted by assuming similar cell lifetimes (12-13 hr) and similar probabilities of cell death (q = 0.15), but using different probabilities of quiescence, r = 0 for the ras oncogene transformed cells and r = 0.1 for the non-transformed cells. The model also reproduces the evolution of distributions of sizes of cells in colonies, from a single founder cell of any specified size to the stable limit distribution after eight to ten cell divisions. Application of the model explains in what way both random events and deterministic control mechanisms strongly influence cell proliferation at early stages in the expansion of colonies.     

Establishment and characterization of cell clones from the Papilio cell line RIRI-PaDe-3 by a high-efficiency clonal method

Cell cloning is of great importance in keeping particular properties of cultured cells, and interesting cells can be selected by cloning from heterogeneous cell populations. In addition, continuous cell lines usually from primary culture are prone to heterologous constitution and genetic instability, so that supplementary cloning steps are necessary for achieving a homogenous cell population. In this study, limiting dilution culture and feeder layer culture were originally used for cloning RIRI-PaDe-3 cell line, but both failed. Afterward, we designed a cloning protocol which was composed of two steps: cells in semisolid medium with seeding density in the range of 3.05?×?10⁵–6.10?×?10⁵ cells/mL formed colonies from monodispersed cell suspensions; 40 well-dispersed colonies were removed from the suspended state by using micromanipulator system and finally scaled up. To determine whether this method can isolate cell lines possessing characteristics different from the parent population, we made an evaluation of cells monoclonal in biological characteristics. Significant differences have been found among clones isolated from the RIRI-PaDe-3 insect cell line in cell morphology, chromosome numbers, and genetic background. Thus the indicated modified semisolid medium cloning protocol was advantageous to the convenient and genuine cloning from the previously heterogeneous population.     

Capacity for tumor cell implantation as a function of in vitro cell density

Implantation properties of two melanoma cell lines, line 26 (low rate of implantation) and line 37 (high rate of implantation) were studied as a function of the cell density of the cells grown in monolayer in vitro. Sparse cultures (collected at a density of 0.8 × 10³ cells cm^?2) of line 37 produced 7.7 times as many lung tumor foci as those of line 26. Confluent cultures (collected at a density of 40 × 10³ cells cm^?2) resulted in greater numbers of tumor foci for both cell lines, but line 37 produced only 3.1 times as many tumor foci as did line 26 cells. Thus the high implantation line (37) has a much greater ability to implant when grown in the sparse state and injected than the low implantation line (26), but both lines have high implantation rates when injected as confluent cells.     

New lines of spontaneously transformed cells obtained from "precrisis" cultures of embryonic rat cells

A new approach to selection of lines of spontaneously transformed cells from the rat embryo "precrisis" cultures is described and their phenotypes at the initial and advanced stages during a long-term cultivation are characterized. The new selective system, referred to as 2T7, differs from the well known 3T3, 2T6 and 3T12 systems (Todaro, Green, 1963; Aaronson, Todaro, 1968). It is based on the maintenance of cultures under maximum cell densities. Such an approach facilitated and accelerated the start of the "crisis" stage (up to 3-8 passages) with the following gradual death of almost the whole normal senescent cell population, the colony formation resulting from the proliferation of single clonogenic cells. The frequency of clonogenic cells was about 6 x 10(-6). Six lines of spontaneously transformed cells from embryos of noninbred white rats (LRec-1--LRec-6) and one line from the Wistar embryos (LRec-7) were established. All the lines are characterized as diploid or near-tetraploid, with 1-4 different marker chromosomes formed from chromosome 7, as was reported elsewhere (Artsybasheva et al., 1988). The values of saturation densities and the time of population doubling for all the 7 lines differed from those for the rat embryo primary cultures cells. LRec-1--LRec-6 cells were unable to form the colonies in soft agar, while LRec-7 cells were able to grow in agar. The lines LRec became oncogenic for 1-2 day old rats after different periods of cultivation in vitro--from 3 to 7 months. The line LRec-7 Wistar appeared to be highly oncogenic from the very beginning after its selection. The histological analysis revealed that the LRec-1 tumors could be classified as polymorphocellular sarcoma. Up to 20 passages the LRec-1 line had numerous clonogenic cells (50-60%) in sparse cultures independently on the serum content in the media. By a 3-step selection of LRec-1 cells, on cultivation in media with lower serum contents (1-0.1-0%), a semisuspension of LRec-1sf subline (serum free) was established. This line was highly oncogenic for 1-2 day old rats, was easily cryopreserved and proliferated in the serum-free media for unlimited time, forming small colonies in agar. Thus, the new approach allows to establish with high effectiveness spontaneous lines of rat embryo cells with differently transformed phenotypes, i.e. preneoplastic and oncogenic ones.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)