Transformation by RAS oncogene decreases the width of substrate-spread fibroblasts but not their length

• Published in: Cell biology international Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 220 - 223
• Main Authors: Kharitonova, Margarita A., Kopnin, Pavel B., Vasiliev, Jury M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2007; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Animals; Cell shape; Cell Shape - genetics; Cell Size; Fibroblast; Fibroblasts - cytology; Genes, ras - genetics; Mice; Morphometry; Mutation - genetics; Phenotype; RAS oncogene; ras Proteins - genetics; Rats; Transfection; Transformation; Transformation; Cell shape; Morphometry; Fibroblast; RAS oncogene
• ISSN: 1065-6995; 1095-8355
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cellbi.2006.10.008

We compared morphometric parameters of the contours of cells in four pairs of non-transformed mouse and rat lines and of the same lines transformed by oncogenes of the
RAS family. As expected, the mean areas of all
RAS-transformed lines were much smaller than those of their non-transformed counterparts. At the same time the average length of cell projection did not regularly decrease after transformation. These results show that transformation induced by expression of
RAS oncogene selectively affect only one component of spreading, namely transversal spreading and not longitudinal spreading; these changes result in an increase of antero-posterior polarity of transformed fibroblasts.