This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Howett, M. K. Articles by Rapp, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Howett, M. K. Articles by Rapp, F.

Production of Plasminogen Activator by Cells Transformed by Herpesviruses¹

Department of Microbiology and Specialized Cancer Research Center, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033

Plasminogen activator is produced by hamster cells transformed by human herpesviruses. These cell lines have previously been shown to be oncogenic when injected s.c. into newborn syngeneic hamsters. Lysis of fibrin overlays by these cell lines was plasminogen dependent. Normal hamster embryo fibroblasts and a hamster cell line transformed by PARA-7 (an adenovirus-SV 40 hybrid) failed to produce lysis. In separate experiments fibrin overlay of lytically infected secondary rabbit kidney cells did not show induction of this activity during the normal course of productive infection. The human cell line TE-85 clone F-5, a clonal cell line from a human osteogenic sarcoma, failed to produce plasminogen activator, but two separate clones of these cells that were morphologically transformed after exposure to UV-inactivated herpes simplex virus type 2 produced rapid lysis of the fibrin overlay. Clonal variation was observed in herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2-transformed hamster lines and is under investigation. It is suggested that plasminogen activator detection may serve as a convenient assay system for transformation of normal cells by herpesviruses.

¹ Supported in part by Grant CA 18450 and Contracts N01-CP-6-1063 and N01-CP-5-3516 within the Virus Cancer Program of the National Cancer Institute, NIH.

² Recipient of a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Leukemia Society of American, Inc., at the time this work was completed.

³ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 10/19/77. Accepted 1/13/78.