Cellular epigenetics: topochronology of progressive "spontaneous" transformation of cells under growth constraint

Early passages of NIH 3T3 cells yield about 10 transformed foci for every 10(5) cells seeded after the cells multiply to confluence in a standardized 2-week assay. The question arose whether more cells would give rise to foci if given more time for their development. This question could not be answered simply by extending the incubation period, since the original foci spread to cover much of the area of the culture dish. Transformed cells can also detach into the medium from the original foci to initiate new foci by reattaching at a distance. These problems were averted by growing cells in multiwell plates which in effect simulated partitioned culture dishes. All the wells in a given plate were assayed for focus formation at successive intervals up to 14 weeks. The results indicated the spatial pattern and sequence of transformation on different parts of the "partitioned" dish. The number of multiwells containing focus-forming cells increased steadily with time, indicating that all parts of a dish eventually undergo transformation. Also, most of the transformations were recorded long after confluence in the multiwells was reached. Hence such a transformation is much more likely to occur in the nondividing state rather than in the dividing state of the cells and is thus inconsistent with a mutational basis. The results suggest that "spontaneous" transformation is a population-wide, epigenetic phenomenon. This agrees with the results from clonal analysis and other studies and is well described by the concept of progressive state selection, in which "spontaneous" transformation represents a heterogeneous, adaptive response of competent cells to moderate constraints on cell growth.