Collagenolytic activities of cultured human malignant melanoma cells.

Three human malignant melanomas were cultured in pure populations and one tumor was cloned into melanotic and amelanotic cell lines. In the homogenates of these cultured cells, specific collagenase activities were demonstrated by isotope release from 14C-labeled collagen, disc electrophoresis, and specific cleavage of collagen molecules as demonstrated in the segment long spacing form. No significant collagenase activity was observed in the culture media. Interestingly, early cultures had a high collagenase activity in the cells and as they were successively subcultured, the activity diminished. Cysteine completely inhibited the degradation of tropocollagen as determined by disc electrophoresis and EDTA partially inhibited the degradation. It is concluded that human malignant melanoma cells produce a specific collagenase in vitro which can be extracted in early culture directly from the homogenate.