Direct correlation between cell membrane fluctuations, cell filterability and the metastatic potential of lymphoid cell lines

Cell membrane fluctuations, which reflect local bending deformability of the cell surface, are composed of submicron aperiodic reversible displacements of the cell membrane in the frequency range of 0.5-20Hz. Measurements of time-dependent light scattering from small areas (0.25 μm²) of the cell surface reveal a higher level of cell membrane fluctuations in high metastatic BW5147 T-lymphoma derived cell lines than in their corresponding non-metastatic cell lines. Filterability measurements, carried out by recording the passage time of equal volumes of cell suspensions and media through 8μm and 10μm pores of a polycarbonate filter, demonstrate a higher filterability (lower rigidity index) for the high metastatic cell lines than their matched nonmetastatic ones. Hence, the present study demonstrates a positive correlation between the metastatic potential of BW5147 lymphoma derived cell lines, their relative level of cell membrane fluctuations and their in-vitro cell filterability.