Properties and Behavior of Hamster Embryo Cells Transformed by Human Adenovirus Type 5

Abstract

Although much is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in the integration and expression of oncogenic viruses in host cell nuclei, very little is known regarding the alterations of cytoplasmic constituents which lead to the changes in physiology and behavior characteristic of transformed cells. Most recent research at the cellular level has emphasized differences involved in the molecular structure and function of the plasma membrane or outer surface coat (glycocalyx) of normal and transformed cells. Specifically, these differences include the availability and distribution of plant lectin binding sites (Talmadge et al. 1974; Shoham and Sachs 1974; Nicolson 1974), the presence or absence of fibrinolytic activity (Unkeless et al. 1973; Ossowski et al. 1973), and differences in the transport of small molecules (Pardee 1964; Pardee et al. 1974).