New tools for investigating macrophage differentiation.
Mouse macrophage clones were generated from liver, bone marrow, spleen, thymus and brain by in vitro immortalization of primary cultures with VN11 recombinant retroviruses, transducing an avian v-myc oncogene. Tissue macrophages from eight different strains of mice were immortalized. All macrophage clones obtained thus far constitutively expressed F4/80, Mac-1, Mac-2 and Fc receptors. Class II MHC molecules were induced with IFN gamma. Constitutive and inducible functional activities of macrophages were retained in most of the clones; phagocytosis, chemotaxis, adhesion properties, cytokine production, MHC expression, cytotoxicity and toxic reactive nitrogen intermediate synthesis were all preserved. A model for studying macrophage differentiation in vitro using cloned cells is presented.
Ricciardi-Castagnoli
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Department of Pharmacology, University of Milan, Italy.
Paglia
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D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000276:immunology; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008954:Models, Biological; D010641:Phenotype; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology