An electron microscopic study of tumour cell adhesiveness induced by aggregation promoting factor from rat ascites hepatoma cells.

A substance capable of inducing tumour cell aggregation, which is supposed to be a glycoprotein showing noncytotoxicity, was separated from rat ascites hepatoma cells and partially purified by chromatography. Adhesiveness of rat ascites hepatoma cells induced by this substance was characterized by gradual development of known binding structures during a period of 24 h after contact with the substance; simple apposition and intermediate junctions developed in the early stage, and desmosomes and focal tight junctions in the later stage. It was assumed that the substance might be involved in the development of such binding structures as a triggering mechanism of tumour cell adhesiveness.