Cellular adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins via integrin molecules is a major factor in the process of invasion and metastasis of human tumor cells. Four human prostate cell lines were characterized according to the presence and quantity of integrin subunits, the ability of the cells to attach to extracellular substrates and the capacity of the cells to form tumors in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. All four human prostate cell lines expressed three to five integrins on their cell surfaces. The DU145, PC3 and 431P cells expressed primarily alpha 3, alpha 5, and alpha 6 integrin at similar levels. These cell lines expressed the subunits beta 1, beta 3, and beta 4 with beta 1 predominant. The DU145 cells preferred attachment to fibronectin, followed by laminin and vitronectin. Approximately 50%-60% of the binding of DU145 cells to fibronectin and laminin was dependent on the function of alpha 5 beta 1 and alpha 6 respectively. The cell line LNCaP differed in its low expression of the alpha 3 subunit, 95% of cellular adhesion to fibronectin and laminin being integrin-dependent and its inability to attach to vitronectin, in spite of surface expression of alpha v beta 3. All the cell lines except for LNCaP readily formed tumors within SCID mice and the expression of alpha 3, alpha 6, beta 1 and beta 4 integrin subunits was preserved in the resulting tumor tissue. The altered adhesion properties of the LNCaP cells may explain their altered tumorigenicity.