Specificity of response in hamster cells induced to produce plasminogen activator by the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

A phorbol ester promoting agent, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, enhances plasminogen activator production in hamster cell lines that synthesize plasminogen activator immunologically identical with plasminogen activator of normal hamster lung cells. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate exhibits a high degree of specificity in the type of plasminogen activator evoked, which is always of the lung form. No enhancement of plasminogen activator production was detected in hamster cell lines synthesizing plasminogen activator of different antigenic form, although in the presence of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, cells of one such line initiated synthesis of plasminogen activator of the lung form.