Distribution of actin filaments in human malignant keratinocytes

Distribution of actin filaments in human malignant keratinocytes was examined by immunofluorescence staining. The primary cultures were obtained from a squamous cell carcinoma, a basal cell carcinoma, and Bowen's disease. Rhodamine-phalloidin staining revealed that actin filaments were occasionally organized to form stress fibers, many short bundles with a ripple appearance, and regular arrays of actin patches. Some of these structures appeared in untransformed keratinocytes as a result of a brief exposure to a tumor promotor, TPA. These findings suggest that regulation of actin functions is involved in neoplastic processes from the very early stages and that alteration is persistent in neoplastic cells.