Tumorigenicity of adenovirus-transformed cells: collagen interaction and cell surface laminin are controlled by the serotype origin of the E1A and E1B genes.

A library of cells transformed with recombinant adenoviruses was used to study tumorigenicity and interaction with extracellular matrix. Cells expressing the complete E1 region of highly oncogenic adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) are tumorigenic, adhere preferentially to type IV collagen, and express cell surface laminin. Weakly tumorigenic cells, which express the E1A oncogene of Ad12 and the E1B genes of Ad5, also attach preferentially to type IV collagen but do not contain laminin on their surface. Cells which express the E1A oncogene of Ad5 and the E1B genes of Ad12 are nontumorigenic and do not preferentially attach to type IV versus type I collagen but have laminin on their surface. There is no significant difference in the amounts of laminin secreted into the culture medium among cells expressing the E1B genes of Ad5 or Ad12. In vitro assays show that cells which express the E1B genes of Ad12, irrespective of the origin of the E1A genes, can bind three times more exogenously added laminin than cells expressing the E1B genes of nononcogenic Ad5. The interaction of adenovirus-transformed cells with collagen is controlled by the serotype origin of the E1A oncogene, whereas cell surface laminin is controlled by the serotype origin of the E1B genes.