title: Role of the extracellular matrix on the growth and differentiated phenotype of murine colonic adenocarcinoma cells in vitro.
abstract: The growth and differentiation characteristics of MAC 15 murine adenocarcinoma cells, derived from routine passage in vivo for growth in vitro on a plastic substrate (MAC15j cells), were compared under conditions in which the cells were seeded onto a substrate of type-I collagen which was either attached to plastic or was released to float free in medium. Cells grown on a plastic substrate consisted of a heterogeneous, largely anaplastic population with a putative enterocytic morphology but with no evidence of junctional complexes or cell polarity typical of an epithelial phenotype. MAC 15j cells from cultures grown on a plastic substrate reestablished a moderate to well-defined degree of differentiation when transplanted back into NMRI mice. When MAC 15j cells were seeded from plastic onto type-I collagen, either attached to plastic or free-floating, tight junctional complexes were formed and the cells began to attain a more recognizable, columnar and polarised epithelial morphology. Cells grown on a type-I collagen gel which was free-floating showed a selective expression of alkaline phosphatase at the apical surfaces of approximately 10% of the cells. This expression was detectable by electron microscope histochemistry but could not be detected biochemically. Treatment of MAC 15j cells grown on a released collagen matrix with tetramethyl-urea (20mM) accelerated the expression of alkaline phosphatase activity at the apical surface as detected by microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Campaign Experimental Chemotherapy Research Group, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Walling
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blackmore
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Townsend
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D002087:Butyrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D020148:Butyric Acid; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D004126:Dimethylformamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008782:Methylurea Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron
chemical_list: D002087:Butyrates; D008782:Methylurea Compounds; D020148:Butyric Acid; C004168:1,1,3,3-tetramethylurea; D004126:Dimethylformamide; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase