IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AUTOCRINE-MOTILITY-FACTOR-LIKEACTIVITY IN ORAL SQUAMOUS-CELL-CARCINOMA CELLS

A human oral squamous-cell-carcinoma cell line, HOC313, was found to p roduce a factor which stimulates cell motility in an autocrine manner. The motility factor of HOC313 cells also promoted the locomotory acti vity of bib murine melanoma cells reported to be sensitive to autocrin e motility factor (AMF). HOC313 cells were found to express a large am ount of AMF-receptor mRNA. In addition, the cell motility activity of HOC313 cells was completely blocked by pertussis toxin, a known inhibi tor of AMF activity, suggesting that the motility factor of HOC313 cel ls may be AMF or a closely related factor. Immunocytochemical analysis has revealed that the AMF-like factor of HOC313 cells diminishes the cell-surface expression of adhesive molecule E-cadherin. These results suggest that down-regulation of E-cadherin may be involved in the cel l-motility activity induced by the AMF-like factor of HOC313 cells. (C ) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.