Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Proteolytic Enzymes Initiating Cell Division and Escape from Contact Inhibition of Growth

Abstract

BRIEF treatment with very low concentrations of proteolytic enzymes can bring about a change in the cell surface similar to that occurring in the chemical or viral transformation of normal to malignant cells1. This suggests to us that proteolytic enzymes may not only convert the surface structure into the type seen in malignant cells but that the whole cell may respond to the proteolytic enzyme with initiation of new rounds of cell division and a concomitant escape from contact inhibition of growth, as is the case for malignant cells in tissue culture2.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Burger, M. M., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 62, 994 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Burger, M. M., Proc. Intern. Conf. Biol. Membranes, Stresa (North-Holland, Amsterdam, in the press).

  3. Burger, M. M., Nature, 219, 499 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Burger, M. M., and Goldberg, A. R., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 57, 359 (1967).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Inbar, M., and Sachs, L., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 63, 1418 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Rubin, H., Proc. Intern. Conf. Biol. Membranes, Stresa (North-Holland, Amsterdam, in the press).

  7. Sylvén, B., and Bois-Svensson, I., Cancer Res., 25, 458 (1965).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Rubin, H., and Colby, C., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 60, 482 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Foster, D. O., and Pardee, A. B., J. Biol. Chem., 244, 2675 (1969).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Holley, R. W., and Kiernan, J. A., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 60, 300 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BURGER, M. Proteolytic Enzymes Initiating Cell Division and Escape from Contact Inhibition of Growth. Nature 227, 170–171 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/227170a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/227170a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing