Transformation of cultured human embryonic fibroblasts by oncornavirus-like particles released from a human carcinoma cell line.

A fibroblast-like cell culture was established from a stomach biopsy of a patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma. One of the cultures, at the 6th passage level, left unattended for a month at 37 degrees, produced numerous foci of epithelioid cells. Upon subculturing, an epithelioid cell line, designated HCCL (human carcinoma cell line), was established. The HCCL cells released particles possessing the characteristics of oncornaviruses: density 1.175 g/ml, cores with a density of 1.22-1.26 g/ml, high-molecular-weight RNA (60-70S) and RNA-instructed DNA polymerase activity (deoxynucleosidetriphosphate:DNA deoxynucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.7). Inoculation of particles released from HCCL cells into cultures of human embryo muscle fibroblasts resulted in the appearance of foci of transformed cells.