Alteration of the cell membrane architecture during suspension and monolayer culturing

Using suspension‐growth‐adapted HeLa (S3) cells, we followed the alterations in cell morphology during attachment and spreading on a glass surface in vitro by scanning electron microscopy. Suspension cultivation obviated the need for trypsinization or EDTA treatment of the cells before seeding, thus the cell surface was not chemically altered. The suspension‐grown cells were spherical and covered with microvilli. Three hours after seeding into stationary culture, attached cells had surface blebs and large processes, but no microvilli. During the following 9 h, the surface topography altered stepwise producing a complex lamelloplasm. The paper discusses how these membrane events are related to the cell cycle and metastasis.