Intercellular junctions of methylcholanthrene-induced rat skin basocellular and squamous carcinomas

The occurrence of different intercellular junctions in epithelial rat skin tumours induced by methylcholanthrene was investigated using thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas examined by electron microscopy. Tumours which appeared first were basal cell carcinomas. Later, different tumours of hair follicle and of sebaceous gland origin were formed. Finally, in the majority of tumours a squamous component evolved. Metastases developed from the squamous carcinomas exclusively. Desmosomes and gap junctions were detected in basal cell carcinomas whereas, in squamous carcinomas, tight junctions were also seen. While all three types of junction were found in the primary squamous tumours, the tumour metastases in lymph nodes and lungs contained only desmosomes.