甲基胆蒽可使小鼠成纤维细胞转化为恶性细胞。而后将DNA由化学转化细胞中提取出来,再把它接种到被称为NIH3T3的受体细胞系中。结果在受体细胞系中生长起转化细胞群体。这就表明癌的“信息”已由癌的供体细胞通过DNA转移到受体细胞。进一步的实验提示,所谓“转化因子”存在于相当小的DNA片段中。 Methylcholanthrene can convert mouse fibroblasts into malignant cells. The DNA is then extracted from chemically transformed cells and inoculated into a recipient cell line called NIH3T3. As a result, a transformed cell population is grown in the recipient cell line. This indicates that the cancer “information” has been transferred from the donor cells of the cancer to the recipient cells by DNA. Further experiments suggest that the so-called “conversion factor” is present in rather small DNA fragments.