Single-steep transformation of human breast epithelial cells by SV40 large T oncogene.

Normal human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) cultures originating from 2 mammoplasty reduction surgical samples were transfected with replication-defective SV 40 DNA. Two independent cell lines designated as S2T2 and S1T3, selected for their increased proliferation potential and lifespan, were propagated for greater than 22 months in culture. They maintained a near-diploid karyotype with few chromosomal markers such as trisomy 1q (S1T3) and trisomy 8q (S2T2), which are most common in breast cancer in vivo. Immortalized S1T3 cells were not tumorigenic, whereas S2T2 cells produced slowly growing tumors in nude mice. One tumor was propagated in vitro and the transformed NS2T2 cell line subsequently raised 100% large tumors in the nude mouse. Rearrangement of the SV40 genome was observed in NS2T2 cells, which was not associated with increased expression of large T antigen. S1T3, S2T2 and transformed NS2T2 cell lines expressed cytokeratins CK18, CK19, the mammary-specific antigen DF3, and functional EGF receptors. Single-step immortalization and malignant transformation of human breast epithelial cells can thus occur upon transfection with SV40 large T oncogene. The chromosomal abnormalities observed in these cell lines suggest that they could offer a model for the study of breast-tumor progression in vitro.     

Efficient induction of focus formation in a subclone of NIH3T3 cells by c-myc and its inhibition by serum and by growth factors

In both experimental and spontaneous tumors, c-myc expression is often enhanced following its amplification or its rearrangement adjacent to a strong promotor/enhancer. However, c-myc by itself does not induce foci efficiently in fibroblast cultures. The effect of high levels of c-myc expression from a retroviral construct was investigated in several rodent fibroblast cell lines grown in medium containing 10% fetal calf serum or in serum-free PC-1 medium. c-myc-infected NIH3T3 clone 7 cells exhibited efficient quantitative focus formation when grown in PC-1 medium, whereas foci were not detected when grown in serum-supplemented medium. NIH3T3 clone 7 was the only cell line found to be sensitive to c-myc; other clones of NIH3T3 or other rodent fibroblast cell lines proved to be resistant to c-myc focus formation. At least two major types of morphologically distinct c-myc-induced foci were observed; the first was similar to ras-transformed foci induced in NIH3T3 and other fibroblast cell lines, and the second type was composed of adipocyte-like cells similar to NIH3T3 L1 cells. The c-myc infected cells cloned from these two types of foci expressed high levels of retrovirus-derived c-myc RNA and exhibited elevated levels of immunoreactive myc protein, as detected by immunofluorescent staining with an anti-myc polyclonal antibody. c-myc-transformed clones displayed only a limited ability to grow in soft-agar in the presence of serum and were not tumorigenic in nude mice. Focus formation by c-myc was quantitatively inhibited by the addition of interferon alpha + beta (INF alpha, beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) or transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) to the serum-free PC-1 medium, and, in correlation, NIH3T3 clone 7 cells produced the lowest level of endogenous TGF beta of the various cell lines tested.     

Sensitization of transformed rat cells to parvovirus MVMp is restricted to specific oncogenes

The rat cell line FR3T3 was transformed with the retroviral oncogenes v-myc or v-src, with the DNA tumor viruses SV40 or bovine papilloma virus strain 1 (BPV-1) or with the 69% transforming region of BPV-1. The transformants were compared with the uncloned parental line for their susceptibility to the lytic effect and to the replication of MVMp, an autonomous parvovirus. Expression of v-myc and v-src proteins and of SV40 large T antigen correlated with a greater cell susceptibility to MVMp-induced killing. Thus, the expression of both cytoplasmic and nuclear oncogene products may sensitize rat fibroblasts to MVMp. In contrast, cell lines transformed by BPV-1, including highly tumorigenic and tumor-derived clones, were on the average as resistant as the parental cell line to MVMp infection. A similar resistance to MVMp-induced killing was displayed by BPV-1-transformed NIH3T3 cells. However, supertransformation of one of the BPV-1-transformants by the human EJ-Harvey ras-1 oncogene, known to sensitize FR3T3 and NIH3T3 cells, correlated with an increase in susceptibility to MVMp. Therefore, the failure of BPV-1 transformation to sensitize murine cells to parvoviral attack may be ascribed to the tumor virus rather than to the cells undergoing transformation. Hence, cell sensitization to MVMp appears to be oncogene-specific and cannot be taken as an absolute correlative with neoplastic transformation.     

人脂肪酸合成酶FAS启动子的克隆及其在几种肿瘤细胞中的转录活性分析

目的:克隆人脂肪酸合成酶基因FAS启动子的序列,构建重组荧光素酶表达载体pGL3-FAS,并分析其在几种肿瘤细胞中的转录活性,为其作为肿瘤靶向基因治疗的工具提供依据。方法:以人基因组DNA为模板,PCR扩增FAS启动子区680bp活性序列,经测序鉴定正确后,克隆至荧光素酶表达载体pGL3-enhancer中,构建成重组荧光素酶表达载体pGL3-FAS。将pGL3-FAS通过脂质体转染胃癌细胞系SGC-7901、人宫颈癌细胞系Hela、人乳腺癌细胞系SKBR3、人肝癌细胞系HepG2以及NIH3T3成纤维细胞系中,应用荧光素酶检测系统测定荧光素酶活性,通过内参校正得到相对转录活性。结果:成功扩增出大小约为680bp的FAS启动子序列,经测序鉴定与Genebank报道的一致。经酶切鉴定,成功构建重组荧光素酶表达载体pGL3-FAS。瞬时转染pGL3-FAS,发现其在SGC-7901、Hela、SKBR3、HepG2细胞中均具有较强的荧光素酶活性,且荧光素酶活性高于强启动子SV40驱动的pGL3-control载体;而在正常成纤维细胞中,转录活性较低。结论:FAS启动子在肿瘤细胞中具有强转录活性,而在正常细胞中转录活性很低,具有良好的肿瘤靶向性,为肿瘤靶向基因治疗提供理论依据。     

Parafibromin tumor suppressor enhances cell growth in the cells expressing SV40 large T antigen

Parafibromin (PF) is a 531-amino acid protein encoded by HRPT2, a putative tumor suppressor gene recently implicated in the autosomal-dominant hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor familial cancer syndrome and sporadic parathyroid carcinoma. To investigate effects of PF's overexpression on cell proliferation, we performed assays in four different cell lines. The transient overexpression of PF inhibited cell growth in HEK293 and NIH3T3 cells, but enhanced cell growth in the SV40 large T antigen-expressing cell lines such as 293FT and COS7 cells. In 293FT cells, PF was found to interact with SV40 large T antigen and its overexpression promoted entry into the S phase, implying that the interaction enhanced progression through the cell cycle. The tumor suppressor protein PF acts as a positive regulator of cell growth similar to an oncoprotein in the presence of SV40 large T antigen.     

Reversibility of the transformed and neoplastic phenotype. IV. Effects of long-term interferon treatment of C3H/10T1/2 cells transformed by methylcholanthrene and SV40 virus

The effects of long-term treatment with mouse interferon on the phenotype of untransformed C3H/10T1/2 cells and cloned derivatives transformed by methylcholanthrene (MCA) and Simian virus 40 (SV40) were investigated. Continuous presence of interferon induced morphologic reversion, with the development of thick, submembranous filaments in MCA-transformed cells, whereas no morphological effects were detected in SV40-transformed cells. Interferon inhibited the proliferation of all three cell lines and maintained low saturation densities. However, prolonged treatment of MCA-transformed cells with interferon rendered them tolerant toward the anti-proliferative and antiviral activities of interferon although 2-A synthetase activity was induced. Interferon treatment reduced the capacity of both MCA and SV40-transformed cells to form colonies in agar and decreased the tumorigenicity of MCA-transformed but not SV40-transformed cells in mice. These results indicate that the same cell type transformed by different means has different sensitivities to a number of interferon-induced changes in the cell phenotype.     

K-Ras and H-Ras activation promote distinct consequences on endometrial cell survival

A considerable amount of evidence indicates that Ras signaling contributes to the development of endometrial cancer. We previously demonstrated that endometrial cancer cells carrying oncogenic [(12)Val]K-ras were susceptible to apoptosis. The present study examined the role of K-and H-Ras in the induction of apoptosis using rat endometrial cells (RENT4 cells). We found that constitutively activated K-Ras promoted apoptotic cell death, whereas the H-Ras mutant rescued rat endometrial cells from apoptosis. Expression of a constitutively active form of Raf-1 (Raf-CAAX) promoted apoptosis, whereas expression of a constitutively active catalytic subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, p110K227E, allowed cells to escape from apoptosis. Moreover, inhibition of the MEK-MAPK pathway by the specific inhibitor, UO126, rescued the cells from apoptosis, whereas the inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase by its specific inhibitor, LY294002, promoted apoptosis in RENT4 cells expressing activated K-Ras. However, both inhibitors promoted apoptosis in RENT4 cells expressing activated H-Ras. This difference in the regulation of apoptosis by the MEK inhibitor between K-Ras- and H-Ras-expressing cells depended on the interaction of effector proteins downstream of each Ras isoform. Finally, to elucidate the role of downstream K-Ras signal pathways, we generated K-Ras effector domain mutants (K12V35S, K12V40C). We examined the incidence of apoptotic cell death induced by the K-Ras effector domain mutants (K12V35S, K12V40C). The relative ratio of phospho-MAPK to phospho-Akt compared with that of mock cells was higher in K12V35S cells than in K12V40C cells. Ectopic expression of K12V35S protein increased the proportion of apoptotic cells, and in turn, the expression of K12V40C protein decreased compared with the expression of K12V protein without the effector domain mutant. These results demonstrate that K- and H-Ras-mediated signaling pathways exert distinct effects on apoptosis and that K-Ras downstream Raf/MEK/MAPK pathway is required for the induction of apoptosis in endometrial cells. Coordination of the two pathways contributes to endometrial cell survival.     

Sensitivities of NIH/3T3-derived clonal cell lines to ionizing radiation: significance for gene transfer studies

Rodent cells are frequently used as recipients in experiments involving gene transfer, isolation, and characterization. The present studies were designed to investigate the clonal responses to ionizing radiation of NIH/3T3 cells subjected to DNA-mediated gene transfer. Radiation sensitivity (D0) values were determined for the parental NIH/3T3 cell strain, six clonal cell lines transfected with DNA from radiation-resistant human tumor cells, and six nontransfected clonal cell lines. The radiation sensitivities of four transfected and two nontransfected clonal cell lines differed significantly from parental NIH/3T3 cells (P less than 0.05). Detailed karyotype analysis of two nontransfected clonal cell lines with differing radiation sensitivities showed variation in chromosomal composition. Specifically, a minute chromosome was observed to segregate consistently (in 49 of 50 metaphases) with the genome of one NIH/3T3 clone (D0 2.07 Gy) and was completely absent (from 50 metaphases) in another NIH/3T3 clone (D0 1.06 Gy). In the parental NIH/3T3 strain (D0 2.02 Gy) 10% of cells (3 of 30 metaphases) had such minute chromosomes. These findings demonstrate that the clonal cellular heterogeneity of NIH/3T3 cells is characterized by genotypic and phenotypic variations which must be considered in the experimental design involving gene transfer and expression.     

人MUC4启动子驱动HSV-TK腺病毒靶向杀伤胃癌细胞的研究

目的：构建人MUC4启动子驱动下的HSV-TK重组腺病毒,研究其对胃癌细胞的靶向杀伤作用。方法：免疫荧光法检测MUC4在胃癌细胞系中的表达。克隆MUC4启动子区625bp活性序列,利用重组荧光素酶检测系统检测其在SGC-7901胃腺癌细胞及NUGC4胃印戒细胞癌细胞中的转录活性。以AdEasyTM腺病毒系统为载体,构建MUC4启动子驱动下的HSV-TK重组腺病毒,与前体药物GCV联合,检测其对上述两种胃癌细胞的细胞毒作用。结果：MUC4蛋白在两种胃癌细胞的胞浆和胞膜均有表达,而在成纤维细胞中无表达。克隆的MUC4启动子片段在SGC-7901和NUGC4细胞中具有强转录活性,转录活性高于强启动子SV40,而NIH3T3成纤维细胞系中几乎无转录活性。MUC4启动子驱动下的HSV-TK重组腺病毒与GCV联合能够诱导SGC-7901和NUGC4胃癌细胞凋亡,产生特异性靶向细胞毒作用。结论：人MUC4启动子驱动下的HSV-TK重组腺病毒联合GCV对SGC-7901和NUGC4胃癌细胞具有靶向杀伤作用,MUC4启动子可以作为胃癌靶向基因治疗的工具。     

Altered glucose transport kinetics in murine sarcoma virus-transformed BALB-3T3 clones

The kinetics of glucose transport were determined for a number of spontaneous and virus-transformed cell lines derived from a single clone of BALB/3T3 cells. SV40-transformed and mouse leukemia virus-infected cells were characterized by a Km very similar to that of the parental cell line. In contrast, murine sarcoma virus-transformed cells had a much lower Km. These findings are in agreement with previous results obtained with mass cultures of NIH Swiss mouse embryo cells. One X-irradiation and two spontaneous transformants also showed low Km values and no virions or virion antigens. These latter cell lines should provide an opportunity for a crucial test of the relationship between glucose transport kinetics and a functional sarcoma virus genome.     

Specific antigrowth effect of interferon on mouse cells transformed by murine sarcoma virus

The growth rate of NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts transformed by the Moloney strain of murine sarcoma virus was investigated following interferon (IFN) treatment. These cells were found to be sensitive to the antigrowth effect of IFN as indicated by a slower growth rate in its presence. The effect was most efficiently expressed when cells were grown at low serum concentrations, e.g., 2.5%. Likewise, IFN treatment caused a reduction in the rate of DNA synthesis as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation. In contrast, these effects were observed only to a very minor extent with uninfected NIH/3T3 cells or with NIH/3T3 cells chronically infected with murine leukemia virus. In addition, IFN treatment significantly decreased the cloning efficiency of murine sarcoma virus-transformed cells in semi-solid agar. Furthermore, an even stronger effect on the cloning efficiency was observed in liquid medium supplied with 2.5% serum, indicating a direct inhibitory effect on the growth of these cells. Under these conditions, NIH/3T3 or NIH/3T3(MLV) cells remained unaffected by IFN treatment, nor was this effect evident when the transformed cells were grown in the presence of 10% serum. A 4-fold increase in the level of (2'-5')oligoadenylate synthetase following IFN treatment was observed in murine sarcoma virus-transformed cells as compared to either NIH/3T3 or NIH/3T3(MLV) cells.     

突变型[12Asp]K-ras4B基因的致瘤作用及其机制的探讨

背景与目的：有资料提示K－ras基因突变可能与子宫内膜癌的发生有关。本研究在发现子宫内膜腺癌HEC－1A细胞有K-ras基因第12密码子突变的基础上,探讨[^12Asp]K-ras4B突变基因的致瘤性及其发生机制。方法：（1）用RT－PCR方法扩增[^12Asp]K-ras4B基因全长cDNA,将此cDNA插入真核表达载体pcDI,构建pcDI-[^12Asp]K-ras4B真核表达质粒;（2）观察真核表达质粒pcDI-[^12Asp]K-ras4B转染前后细胞形态学改变,用MTT方法、^3H掺入实验、集落形成实验检测转染前后细胞体外生长的变化,以及用转基因肿瘤细胞裸鼠异种接种成瘤实验,了解[^12Asp]K-ras4B的致瘤作用。结果：（1）成功构建了真核表达质粒pcDI-[^12Asp]K-ras4B。（2）通过转染前后细胞形态学变化、体外增殖变化、软琼脂集落形成实验以及裸鼠皮下转染细胞接种实验,证明[^12Asp]K-ras4B基因具有致瘤作用。（3）将pCMV-RasN17质粒转染到pcDI-[^12Asp]K-ras4B细胞,与未转染细胞比较,发现pcDI-[^12Asp]K-ras4B细胞增生受到明显抑制。（4）分别将pCMV-RafS621A和pCMV-RafCAAX质粒转染到pcDI-[^12Asp]K-ras4B NIH3T3细胞,与未转染的细胞比较,转染pCMV-RafCAAX质粒的pcDI-[^12Asp]K-ras4B细胞增殖受到抑制,与对照组比较差异显著（P＜0．05）;转染pCMV-RafCAAX质粒的pcDI-[^12Asp]K-ras4B细胞增殖活性加强,与对照组比较差异显著（P＜0．05）。结论：（1）[^12Asp]K-ras4B基因单独作用即可诱导NIH3T3细胞瘤样转化;（2）[^12Asp]K-ras4B基因诱导的NIH3T3细胞瘤样转化是通过下游的Raf信号通路。     

Effects of ouabain on NIH/3T3 cells transformed with retroviral oncogenes and on human tumor cell lines

Both murine and human cell lines transformed by the v-Ki-ras gene have been shown to be much more sensitive to the toxic effects of the cardiac glycoside ouabain than their respective controls. This differential toxicity has previously been used in the isolation of flat revertant clones from populations of Kirsten murine sarcoma virus transformed NIH/3T3 cells. Here, we have undertaken a further characterization of this phenomenon in murine and human tumor cells. Two different techniques, a 51Cr-release assay and a quantitative Crystal violet elution assay, have been employed to compare the sensitivities to ouabain of normal and v-Ki-ras-transformed NIH/3T3 cells. In each assay, ras-transformed NIH/3T3 cell lines displayed an increased sensitivity to ouabain as compared to the parental NIH/3T3 cell line, both in dose-response and in time-course experiments. In a separate study, ouabain was also able to inhibit the growth in semi-solid medium of 2 v-Ki-ras-transformed NIH/3T3 cell lines (DT and K-NIH) in a dose-dependent fashion. The same concentrations of ouabain were effective in both the 51Cr-release and Crystal violet assays. To address the question of whether increased sensitivity to ouabain is a specific result of transformation with the ras oncogene or is a common event which accompanies transformation by other oncogenes, we have screened a variety of transformed NIH/3T3 derivatives. All of these lines displayed an increased sensitivity to ouabain when compared to the parental NIH/3T3 cell line.     

Synergism of BARF1 with Ras Induces Malignant Transformation in Primary Primate Epithelial Cells and Human Nasopharyngeal Epithelial Cells

Although it is well known that nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is closely related with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), few data are available about which and how EBV-expressed gene is involved in the carcinogenesis of human nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. EBV-encoded BARF1 (BamH I-A right frame 1) gene has been shown to be oncogenic and capable of inducing malignant transformation in BALB/c3T3 and NIH3T3 cells as well as in human B-cell lines Louckes and Akata. It remains unclear, however, whether BARF1 can transform primate or human epithelial cells. Here, we have shown that overexpression of H-Ras gene transformed BARF1-immortalized PATAS cells into malignant cell line. Furthermore, we found that cooperation of BARF1 with H-Ras and SV40 T antigens was sufficient to transform nonmalignant human nasopharyngeal epithelial NP69 cells when serially introduced BARF1 and H-Ras into the SV40 T antigens-immortalized NP69 cells. Taken together, these results demonstrated that the cooperation of BARF1 with Ras suffices to transform primary primate epithelial cell PATAS. Similarly, BARF1 together with H-Ras and SV40 T can transform human epithelial cell NP69, thereby indicating that BARF1 could be involved in the NPC pathogenesis in combination with additional genetic changes.     

Rat cell line 3y1 and its virogenic polyoma- and sv40- transformed derivatives.

Cell lines were established from cultures derived from Fischer rat embryos according to the transfer schedule described by Todaro and Green (1963) for mouse 3T3 cells where cell crowding and serum exhaustion were kept to a minimum. Cell growth rate did not decline greatly during the course of successive 3-day transfers. Like 3T3 cells the rat cell lines possess very low saturation desities under standard culture conditions. A clonal cell line with a relatively high plating efficiency as obtained from one of the cell lines, 3YL. In these cloned cultures, virus growth was not detectable upon infection with SV40, while a small amount of virus was produced upon infection with polyoma virus. Morphological transformation of the cloned 3Y1 cells by SV40 and polyoma virus could be assayed with single-hit kinetics and with effieiencies comparable to those of the previously available transformation systems for each virus. Independent cell lines transformed by SV40 were consistently virus-free and all the lines tested produced SV40 upon fusion with permissive monkey cells. Most of the independent transfromed cell lines isolated after polyoma infection appeared to be virus-free, although the cultures of some lines produced a small amount of polyoma virus spontaneously after a prolonged cultivation. Most of the virus-free polyoma-transformed lines produced virus upon fusion with permissive mouse cells.     

Comparison of methotrexate resistance conferred by a mutated dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) cDNA in two different retroviral vectors

We previously reported the protection of hematopoietic cells from methotrexate (MTX) toxicity using an N2-based double copy vector containing serine 31 (S31)-mutated dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) (DC/SV6S31). To examine whether the use of SFG-based dicistronic vectors will lead to improvement in gene transfer over the DC/SV6 vector, we compared the protection provided by MTX to NIH3T3 cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells infected with these retroviral constructs containing the S31 variant DHFR cDNA. In NIH3T3 cells, the 50% effective dose values of MTX conferred by the SFG vector were 8-fold higher than those obtained with the DC/SV6 vector. DHFR mRNA levels were 22-fold and 38-fold higher than that seen for the DC/SV6 vector according to Northern blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, respectively. However, DHFR protein expression and DHFR enzyme activity were only 1.5-fold and 2-fold higher in the SFG vector, respectively, indicating that the mRNA from the SFG vector is translated less efficiently than the mRNA generated from the DC/SV6 vector. Furthermore, the degree of MTX protection conferred by each vector in both mouse and human hematopoietic cells was the same. These results indicate that the in vitro transduction efficiency and transgene expression of human DHFR in hematopoietic progenitor cells is equally conferred by both vectors.     

Correlation between H-ras p21TLeu61 protein content and tumorigenicity of NIH3T3 cells

We have prepared a number of NIH3T3 clonal cell lines that contain an H-ras transforming gene with an A----T transversion at the 61st codon. The clonal lines contain 1 to 3 cell equivalents of the transforming oncogene and some lines look more morphologically transformed than others. Using Y13-238, a rat monoclonal antibody that recognizes H-ras p21 but not Ki- or N-ras in rodent cells, we found that the degree of morphological change is correlated with the relative amount of transforming protein in the selected clonal lines. Nude mice were injected with cells from lines containing different amounts of the transforming protein, ranging from approximately 1 to 10 times the level of normal H-ras protein present in NIH3T3 cells. Tumors arose in all mice that received cells containing the transforming protein. Their time of appearance (tumor latency) was correlated with the number of cells injected and the amount of transforming protein present in each clonal line; however, the subsequent rate of growth and ultimate size of the tumors were similar. Thus, it appears that the transforming protein has a significant effect on some early step in tumor development. Our results also show that relatively low amounts of transforming ras protein are sufficient to cause tumorigenicity in NIH3T3 cells and that higher amounts of the transforming protein cause proportionately faster responses.     

Thy-1 as a negative growth regulator in ras-transformed mouse fibroblasts.

To identify molecules on the cell surface involved in negative growth regulation, we assumed that their amounts would be reduced after malignant transformation. We analyzed several proteins by fluorescence-activated cell sorter in mouse NIH 3T3 and its transformed cell lines. Surprisingly, the amount of Thy-1, a cell surface glycoprotein anchored in the cell membrane by a glycophosphatidyl inositol linkage, was significantly decreased in the transformed NIH 3T3 lines, especially in ras-transformed NIH 3T3 lines. The malignant properties of clones of NIH 3T3 transformed by Kirsten murine sarcoma virus have a good correlation not only with the high amount of RAS proteins but also inversely with the amount of Thy-1. NIH 3T3 subpopulations lacking Thy-1 exhibit more susceptibility to the induction of colony-forming ability in soft agar by Kirsten murine sarcoma virus than the Thy-1-positive populations. Finally the transfection of Thy-1 complementary DNA to the ras-transformed NIH 3T3 significantly inhibits the colony formation in soft agar as well as the tumor formation in nude mice. Our results suggest that Thy-1 has negative effects on the anchorage-independent growth of ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells.     

In vitro transformation of C3H/10T1/2 and NIH/3T3 cells by acrylonitrile and acrylamide

Acrylonitrile (AN) and acrylamide (AM) are carcinogenic in a number of rodent organs and AN is a suspected human carcinogen. We sought to determine whether AN and/or AM could produce morphological transformation in vitro in C3H/10T1/2 and NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. Both AN and AM induced a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect in C3H/10T1/2 and NIH/3T3 cells and readily transformed both cell lines. Our conclusions are based on the appearance of cells exhibiting a transformed phenotype and growth in soft agar. AN and AM transformed NIH/3T3 cells to a greater extent than C3H/10T1/2 cells. This is the first reported transformation of cells in vitro by AM.