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Comparison of Soluble RNA Methylase Capacity in Paired Neoplastic and Nonneoplastic Cell Lines in Vitro

Tissue Culture Section, Laboratory of Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20014

The RNA methylase capacity of an in vitro long-term nonneoplastic cell line was compared with an in vitro neoplastic subline. A second comparison was made with tumor tissue arising from another subline of cells implanted into syngeneic animals. Cell-free extracts of the neoplastic tissue cultured cells and the tumor tissue both had a much greater capacity to transfer methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine to Escherichia coli soluble RNA than the tissue cultured nonneoplastic control line. This indicates a qualitative difference in the RNA methylase complements of the neoplastic and nonneoplastic cell lines. These results support the hypothesis that aberrant alkylation of nucleic acids may be a necessary chemical event in some types of neoplasia and extend the experimental evidence to an established in vitro system. In addition, with this in vitro system it is now possible to study the relationship of nucleic acid methylation to oncogenesis where the nonneoplastic controls can be maintained viable throughout the experiment for comparison with the related neoplastic line.

Received 8/ 2/68. Accepted 11/ 9/68.