Final answer:
When fusing normal and malignant rodent cell lines, the most likely outcome is that normal cellular regulatory mechanisms suppress the malignant behavior, leading to the reprogramming of the malignant cells to behave normally. Other possibilities include senescence or apoptosis of the fused cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of the student's question involves the interaction between normal and malignant rodent cell lines. When these cells are fused, several outcomes are possible. Research suggests that the presence of normal cell regulatory mechanisms can suppress the malignant behavior of cancer cells. The most likely outcome is therefore the reprogramming of the malignant cells to behave more like normal cells due to the influence of normal cellular regulatory factors. This phenomenon is observed in cell fusion experiments where hybrid cells often exhibit a more normal phenotype, suggesting that normal cellular controls can dominate over the malignant phenotype.
It is important to note that another possible outcome is that the fused cells could become senescent or commit apoptosis if the normal cell's mechanisms for detecting damage are activated. However, the question specifically asks for the most likely outcome, not all possibilities. In this context, option (c) 'The malignant cells will transform into normal cells' would be the most suitable answer.