Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1970 Apr 1;45(1):91–99. doi: 10.1083/jcb.45.1.91

LOW-RESISTANCE JUNCTIONS BETWEEN CANCER CELLS IN VARIOUS SOLID TUMORS

Judson D Sheridan 1
PMCID: PMC2108000  PMID: 4195853

Abstract

Electrical coupling, which reveals the presence of specialized low-resistance intercellular junctions, has now been found in four types of tumors, Sarcoma 180, Novikoff hepatoma, and Morris hepatomas 3924-A and 7777. Coupled cancer cells were distinguished from coupled normal cells by intracellular marking techniques. Although the evidence suggests that coupling may be extensive in some cases, it is not possible to say that the coupling was normal. In particular, the results do not exclude less obvious defects in the specialized junctions, such as abnormal distribution or decreased permeability to molecules other than small inorganic ions. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies of coupling in Novikoff hepatomas and in cultures of S1801 and II cell lines.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (775.8 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bennett M. V. Physiology of electrotonic junctions. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1966 Jul 14;137(2):509–539. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1966.tb50178.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. FARQUHAR M. G., PALADE G. E. Junctional complexes in various epithelia. J Cell Biol. 1963 May;17:375–412. doi: 10.1083/jcb.17.2.375. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. FOLEY G. E., DROLET B. P. Sustained propagation of sarcoma of 180 in tissue culture. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1956 Jun;92(2):347–352. doi: 10.3181/00379727-92-22473. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. FURSHPAN E. J., POTTER D. D. Transmission at the giant motor synapses of the crayfish. J Physiol. 1959 Mar 3;145(2):289–325. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006143. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hruban Z., Swift H., Rechcigl M., Jr Fine structure of transplantable hepatomas of the rat. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1965 Sep;35(3):459–495. doi: 10.1093/jnci/35.3.459. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ito S., Hori N. Electrical characteristics of Triturus egg cells during cleavage. J Gen Physiol. 1966 May;49(5):1019–1027. doi: 10.1085/jgp.49.5.1019. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ito S., Loewenstein W. R. Ionic communication between early embryonic cells. Dev Biol. 1969 Mar;19(3):228–243. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(69)90062-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jamakosmanović A., Loewenstein W. R. Intercellular communication and tissue growth. 3. Thyroid cancer. J Cell Biol. 1968 Sep;38(3):556–561. doi: 10.1083/jcb.38.3.556. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. KARRER H. E. The striated musculature of blood vessels. II. Cell interconnections and cell surface. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1960 Sep;8:135–150. doi: 10.1083/jcb.8.1.135. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KUFFLER S. W., POTTER D. D. GLIA IN THE LEECH CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: PHYSIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND NEURON-GLIA RELATIONSHIP. J Neurophysiol. 1964 Mar;27:290–320. doi: 10.1152/jn.1964.27.2.290. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kanno Y., Loewenstein W. R. Cell-to-cell passage of large molecules. Nature. 1966 Nov 5;212(5062):629–630. doi: 10.1038/212629a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kanno Y., Matsui Y. Cellular uncoupling in cancerous stomach epithelium. Nature. 1968 May 25;218(5143):775–776. doi: 10.1038/218775b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kuffler S. W., Nicholls J. G., Orkand R. K. Physiological properties of glial cells in the central nervous system of amphibia. J Neurophysiol. 1966 Jul;29(4):768–787. doi: 10.1152/jn.1966.29.4.768. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Loewenstein W. R., Kanno Y. Intercellular communication and tissue growth. I. Cancerous growth. J Cell Biol. 1967 May;33(2):225–234. doi: 10.1083/jcb.33.2.225. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Loewenstein W. R., Penn R. D. Intercellular communication and tissue growth. II. Tissue regeneration. J Cell Biol. 1967 May;33(2):235–242. doi: 10.1083/jcb.33.2.235. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Loewenstein W. R. Permeability of membrane junctions. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1966 Jul 14;137(2):441–472. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1966.tb50175.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Markert C. L. Neoplasia: a disease of cell differentiation. Cancer Res. 1968 Sep;28(9):1908–1914. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Martinez-Palomo A., Braislovsky C., Bernhard W. Ultrastructural modifications of the cell surface and intercellular contacts of some transformed cell strains. Cancer Res. 1969 Apr;29(4):925–937. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McNutt N. S., Weinstein R. S. Carcinoma of the cervix: deficiency of nexus intercellular junctions. Science. 1969 Aug 8;165(3893):597–599. doi: 10.1126/science.165.3893.597. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. NOVIKOFF A. B. A transplantable rat liver tumor induced by 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene. Cancer Res. 1957 Nov;17(10):1010–1027. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Penn R. D. Ionic communication between liver cells. J Cell Biol. 1966 Apr;29(1):171–174. doi: 10.1083/jcb.29.1.171. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Potter D. D., Furshpan E. J., Lennox E. S. Connections between cells of the developing squid as revealed by electrophysiological methods. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Feb;55(2):328–336. doi: 10.1073/pnas.55.2.328. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Prescott D. M. The syntheses of total macronuclear protein, histone, and DNA during the cell cycle in Euplotes eurystomus. J Cell Biol. 1966 Oct;31(1):1–9. doi: 10.1083/jcb.31.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Revel J. P., Sheridan J. D. Electrophysiological and ultrastructural studies of intercellular junctions in brown fat. J Physiol. 1968 Jan;194(1):34P–35P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sheridan J. D. Electrophysiological evidence for low-resistance intercellular junctions in the early chick embryo. J Cell Biol. 1968 Jun;37(3):650–659. doi: 10.1083/jcb.37.3.650. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Stoker M. G. Transfer of growth inhibition between normal and virus-transformed cells: autoradiographic studies using marked cells. J Cell Sci. 1967 Sep;2(3):293–304. doi: 10.1242/jcs.2.3.293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Trelstad R. L., Hay E. D., Revel J. D. Cell contact during early morphogenesis in the chick embryo. Dev Biol. 1967 Jul;16(1):78–106. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(67)90018-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. WIENER J., SPIRO D., LOEWENSTEIN W. R. STUDIES ON AN EPITHELIAL (GLAND) CELL JUNCTION. II. SURFACE STRUCTURE. J Cell Biol. 1964 Sep;22:587–598. doi: 10.1083/jcb.22.3.587. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Woodward D. J. Electrical signs of new membrane production during cleavage of Rana pipiens eggs. J Gen Physiol. 1968 Sep;52(3):509–531. doi: 10.1085/jgp.52.3.509. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES