Effects of tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate on morphology and anchorage-independent growth of normal and established chick embryo cells.

The effects of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on the organization of cytoskeleton and growth of normal and established chick embryo cells (CEC) were studied. The cytoskeleton of normal CEC formed stress fibers, while that of the CEC lines established in our laboratory formed no stress fibers. TPA treatment of normal CEC resulted in disorganization of the stress fibers into amorphous structure, while that of the established CEC lines induced no reorganization of the cytoskeleton. TPA had no promotional effect in vitro or in vivo on tumor growth in normal or the established CEC.