Analysis of tumour cell composition in tumours composed of paired mixtures of mammary tumour cell lines

Abstract

In order to quantitate the effects of tumour subpopulation interactions, we have devised a method to determine the subpopulation composition of tumours by using paired tumour cell lines able to grow in different selective media. Line 4T07 forms colonies in thioguanine but not in HAT and line 168 forms colonies in HAT but not in thioguanine. An independent technique of determining tumour cell content was used to validate this method: line 168 and 4T07 cells are distinguishable by flow cytometry after staining with propidium iodide for DNA content. Mixtures of cell suspensions prepared from each unmixed tumour, as well as from tumours arising from mixtures of these lines, were analysed by both the colony formation assay and by the DNA content assay. The colony formation assay yielded values in good agreement with the DNA content assay, but was considerably more sensitive in that it was able to quantitate minority subpopulations that constituted less than 10% of the tumour. Both methods revealed that in tumours arising from mixtures, the tumour cells were almost entirely line 4T07, even when the inoculum had contained a high proportion of 168 cells. Since line 168 cells are very tumorigenic per se, these results suggest that line 4T07 cells are capable of interfering with 168 proliferation in mixed tumours, either directly or through a host-mediated mechanism.