Transforming activity of DNA extracted from BKV-transformed hamster cells after passages in culture

Primary fetal rat fibroblasts (FRF cells) were transfected with DNA extracted from BKV-transformed hamster kidney cells at low passage after transformation (HKBKlp cells) and at high passage after transformation (HKBKhp cells). Two transformed rat cell lines were obtained, FRF-DNA-HKBKlp cells and FRF-DNA-HKBKhp cells, transformed by DNA extracted from HKBKlp cells and HKBKhp cells, respectively. They were characterized by a number of biological properties and by tumorigenicity and metastatic ability in newborn hamsters. The two transformed FRF cell lines exhibited exactly inverted properties in comparison with HKBK cells, in particular FRF-DNA-HKBKlp cells showed a low level of nuclear T antigen and a diffuse appearance of TSTA at the cell surface, whereas FRF-DNA-HKBKhp cells demonstrated a high level of T antigen and the capping of TSTA in the cell membrane. The tumorigencity and the metastatic ability were greater with FRF-DNA-HKBKlp cells, while FRF-DNA-HKBKhp cells appeared to be less tumorigenic and metastatic in newborn hamsters.