Changes in epidermal growth factor receptors associated with adenovirus transformation, chemical carcinogen transformation and exposure to a phorbol ester tumor promoter

Abstract Transformation of rat embryo cells by wild type or a mutant (H5ts125) of human adenovirus type 5 results in >97% reduction in binding of epidermal growth factor to cell surface receptors. A 26 to 89% reduction in binding was observed in clones of NIH-3T3 cells transformed by benzo(a)pyrene (BP) or N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). Chemically or spontaneously transformed rat liver epithelial cell lines and a rat hepatoma cell line also displayed low binding. The reduction of epidermal growth factor binding does not correlate quantitatively with expression of other markers of transformation. Brief exposure to a phorbol ester tumor promoter reduced epidermal growth factor binding in all of these cell types.