Effect of pH on proteinase secretion by transformed fibroblast populations

Folia Biol (Praha). 1998;44(3):111-6.

Abstract

Effect of pH on secretion of proteolytic enzymes in cell cultures of three clonal lines of transformed fibroblasts (K2, T15 and K4) was studied by using 14C-labelled denatured proteins as substrate. One line of malignant macrophages derived from mouse reticulum cell sarcoma (J774.1) was used for comparison. The relative motility index of all cell lines was derived by computer analysis of quantitative estimations of cell dispersion in single-cell-derived colonies. Cultivation at pH 6.5 decreased the growth rate in most experiments as compared with that at pH 7.4, and stimulated cell motility to a different extent. The population of mouse malignant macrophages produced several-fold higher extracellular proteolytic activity than the fibroblast lines. Secretion of proteinases by the malignant macrophages was significantly stimulated by the lower pH. Enzyme secretion by two of the three fibroblast derivatives was also stimulated by acidic pH but to a lesser extent than the secretion of the malignant macrophages. The assessment of motility done by measurement of dispersion of cells in colony proved a positive correlation between motility and proteinase secretion in J774.1 cells and one transformed fibroblast clone (T15) but not in the two other clonal lines.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Transformed
  • Cell Size
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / enzymology
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Macrophages / cytology
  • Macrophages / enzymology
  • Mice
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Endopeptidases