Storage and growth of neuroblastoma cells immobilized in calcium-alginate beads.
Mouse neuroblastoma cells (N18) were immobilized in calcium-alginate gel beads. Under standard culture conditions (37 degrees C; 5% CO2), cell growth was observed inside the beads. The number of cells increased threefold during 7 days of culture with cell division and differentiation visualized by electron microscopy. Cell properties maintained after short-term storage (2-3 days at 4 degrees C) included: (i) properties of voltage-dependent ionic channels tested by patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques; (ii) expression of cell-adhesion membrane proteins tested by immunohistochemistry (iii) morphological differentiation obtained by depletion of foetal calf serum in culture medium. The advantages of such an immobilization technique as applied to neurone cells are discussed.
Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Cachan, France.
C
C
Tamponnet
S
S
Boisseau
P N
PN
Lirsac
J N
JN
Barbotin
C
C
Poujeol
M
M
Lievremont
M
M
Simonneau
D000464:Alginates; D000818:Animals; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D051379:Mice; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000464:Alginates; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D015221:Potassium Channels; D020723:Glucuronic Acid