Laminin production by murine melanoma cells: possible involvement in cell motility.

Three lines of B16 melanoma cells (B16-F1, B16-F10 and B16-BL6) were examined for motility in the micropore filter assay and for synthesis in culture of the basal lamina glycoprotein laminin. All three lines synthesized laminin as judged by the incorporation of [35S]methionine into immunoreactive laminin and secreted (or shed) laminin into the culture medium as indicated by biosynthetic labeling studies and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Immunoreactive laminin was also seen on the surface of the cells as indicated by immunofluorescence staining and by complement-mediated killing. Analysis of [35S]methionine-labeled laminin immunoprecipitates by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) both with and without reduction of intersubunit disulfide bonds revealed that all three cell lines produced a similar array of laminin forms, and that the Mr = 950 kD laminin molecule (but not the uncombined subunits) was secreted into the culture medium. Laminin biosynthesis appeared to be limited by the availability of the Mr = 400 kD A subunit as shown by the intracellular accumulation of excess B subunit in the form of uncombined B subunit (Mr = 200 kD) and as a disulfide-linked B dimer (Mr = 400 kD). The motility of all three cell lines was stimulated four- to five-fold by the addition of either exogenous laminin from the EHS sarcoma or culture medium from the B16 cells containing the secreted laminin. The stimulated motility was inhibited by antilaminin serum. These observations suggest that the laminin synthesized by the B16 melanoma cells themselves may facilitate their motility.