Characterization of subclonal cell lines showing high motility derived from an undifferentiated human endometrial cancer cell line

To examine the relationship between the morphology and the motility of canc er cells, we studied the difference between human endometrial undifferentia ted cancer cell lines with different motilities, using light and electron m icroscopy, immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. In a transplanted tumor of a cel l line with high motility, many connective tissues and microvessels were ob served and there were few intercellular spaces, which were ultrastructurall y full of extracellular matrix. In the high-motility cell line only cytoker atin 19 was observed, and the level of cytokeratin 19 mRNA was elevated. Th us, motility is suggested to be related to the induction of connective tiss ues and cytoskeleton.