EFFECT OF SELENITE ON TUMOR-CELL INVASIVENESS

Pre-exposure of HeLa or NIH:OVCAR-3 cells to selenite resulted in a do se-dependent decrease in the ability of the cells to invade a layer of Matrigel, a reconstituted basement membrane preparation. In contrast, selenate, selenomethionine and sulfite had no significant effect on c ell invasiveness. Exposure of HeLa cells to selenite also resulted in a decrease in two of the necessary steps of the invasion process, atta chment and mobility; in contrast, exposure of OVCAR cells decreased at tachment but not mobility. There was an apparent correlation between t he processes that are affected by selenite and those that involve the cellular fibronectin receptor (alpha(5) beta(1) integrin).