Organization of cytoskeletal structures in 13762NF rat mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines and clones of different metastatic potentials.

The correlation between metastatic potential and the organization of microtubules and microfilaments in nine cell lines and clones derived from the 13762NF rat mammary adenocarcinoma was investigated using immunofluorescence techniques. Cell sizes and morphologies of cell clones isolated from the locally growing 13762NF tumor were heterogeneous; those derived from spontaneous metastases were more homogeneous. The organization of microtubules was similar in cells of various 13762NF lines and clones, and differences could not be detected with the techniques employed. The organization of microfilaments was very heterogeneous within some clones but homogeneous within others. Correlations between microfilament organization and origin of a cell line or clone or its metastatic potential were not found in this tumor system.