Some electrical properties of the peripheries of murine 3T3 cells with respect to viral transformation and reversion

Mouse 3T3, Simian virus 40 transformed 3T3 cells (SV3T3) and two SV3T3 lines showing reversion of their transformed phenotype (Rev 3 and Rev 5) have been studied with respect to electrophoretic mobilities and colloidal iron hydroxide (CIH) binding density visible by electron microscopy, before and after incubation with neuraminidase or ribonuclease. The results show that, in general, the marked changes in both sets of surface parameters associated with transformation are largely reversed in the Rev 5 revertant, and only partially reversed in the Rev 3 line. It was also observed that, in common with Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells examined previously, the densities of CIH‐particles bound over the microvilli of all the cell types was 1.5 to 2.7 times higher than those bound to the spaces between them. In contrast to the EAT cells, the higher density of CIH particles bound over the microvilli was not due to neuraminidase‐sensitive binding sites.