The release and absorption of small ribonucleoprotein complexes (alpha RNPs) in cultures of transformed rat fibroblasts and human epidermoid carcinoma

: The release of alpha RNPs and their absorbtion by the cells from culture medium were studied. The rat fibroblasts of parental serum-dependent cell line LRec-1, and of selected serum-free cell line LRec-1sf rapidly released and absorbed alpha RNPs. In the latter case, both auto- and heterologous alpha RNPs were seen to penetrate, whereas only autologous alpha RNPs entered LRec-1 cells. Besides, the ability to rapid export and absorbtion of autocrine alpha RNPs was demonstrated for human epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431. Both LRec-1 and LRec-1sf cells expressed mRNAs with homology to ID-like nucleotide sequences, the level of mRNA expression decreasing markedly when serum-dependent LRec-1 cells were grown in serum-free medium.