Adhesion of metastatic and non-metastatic carcinoma cells to glass surfaces.

Adhesion in vitro is described in cells from a tumor pair originating from a single methylcholanthrene-induced mouse carcinoma. One member of this tumor pair shows a high incidence of metastases while the other does not metastasize. Cells from the non-metastasizing carcinoma were found to form close and focal contacts with a glass substrate consecutively, as do normal mouse kidney epithelial cells. Cells from the metastasizing carcinoma, however, had only limited areas of close contact and generally failed to form focal contacts. It is suggested that this alteration in cell-substrate adhesion contributes to the release and mobility of metastatic cells.