Suppression of c-mos expression in teratocarcinoma cells with a new type of inducer of differentiation, 3,5-di-tert-butylchalcone 4'-carboxylic acid.

The treatment of 311 cells, a pluripotent mouse teratocarcinoma cell line, with a new type of inducer, 3,5-di-tert-butylchalcone 4'-carboxylic acid (Ch55), results in the suppression of the c-mos gene, accompanied by early marker changes associated with cell differentiation, i.e., the enhanced secretion of plasminogen activator and the decrease in peanut agglutinin receptors and glucose transport. This indicates that Ch55 is a potent inducer of teratocarcinoma cells and suppresses c-mos expression.