Aggregation between teratocarcinoma cells and preimplantation mouse embryos.

The ability of two embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell lines, F9 and PC13, to aggregate with preimplantation 8-cell mouse embryos is described. Both adhere to the embryonic cells and subsequently compact with the embryos. The aggregates form blastocysts in culture. The blastocysts sometimes contain the EC cells, located almost always in their inner cell mass. Differentiated derivatives of EC cells, namely PYS-1 and PYS-2, as well as STO fibroblasts do not aggregate with embryos.