Lack of correlation between malignancy and sensitivity to killing by concanavalin A.

Eight mouse cell lines and seven hybrid clones, both malignant and nonmalignant, were tested for possible correlations between malignancy and sensitivity to killing by concanavalin A (Con A). These cells included six highly malignant and two less malignant cell lines, two malignant and three nonmalignant hybrid clones derived from five different crosses, and two malignant hybrid clones segregated from a cross between malignant and nonmalignant cells. The malignancy of the cells was determined by their ability to grow progressively in irradiated, syngeneic newborn mice and to kill the host. All these cells, except one, showed similar sensitivities to killing by Con A. No correlation could be established between the malignancy of a cell line or of a hybrid clone and its sensitivity to the lectin.