Journal of Cell Science, Vol 10, 749-758, Copyright © 1972 by Company of Biologists

Submitted on October 8, 1971

Aggregation of Burkitt Lymphoma Cells in Stationary Culture: Experimental and Theoretical Analysis

¹ Department of Experimental Pathology
² Department of Biostatistics Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, N. Y. 14203, U.S.A.

Cellular motility plays an important role in natural aggregative phenomena but previously has been difficult to quantitate. We here describe a general method which can be used to determine the importance of cell motility in cell aggregation behaviour.

When actively moving Burkitt lymphoma cells cultured in microtest plate wells come into contact they adhere to one another forming an aggregate. The aggregate increases in size when more cells come in contact with it. The final size and number of aggregates per well was found to be dependent on the number of cells added per well. With increasing cell numbers added per well the number of aggregates formed increased until it reached a peak of 47-57 aggregates per well 20 h after the addition of 180-710 cells per well. At higher cell concentrations the number of aggregates formed decreased. The system was analysed theoretically by programming a computer to simulate the experimental system. This simulation showed it was probable that the experimental results obtained were due to (a) random dropping of the cells at zero time and (b) the adhesion of the cells when they made contact and (c) unrestricted random movement of cells in the well when they reached the well surface. The computer simulation is such that given the experimentally determined cell concentration per well and rate of cell movement we can predict the number of aggregates formed for different probabilities that the adhesions formed after the cells come in contact are permanent. This experimental approach along with the computer simulation can be used to quantitate the role of cell motility and permanence of contact in cell aggregation.