title: Stochastic model for mast cell proliferation in culture of murine peritoneal cells.
abstract: We recently identified two types of mast cell colonies derived from murine peritoneal cells: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 mast cell colonies consisted of berberine sulfate(+)- safranin(+) connective tissue-type mast cells (CTMC) and were derived from mature CTMC in the heaviest fraction obtained by Percoll density gradient centrifugation. In contrast, type 2 mast cell colonies consisted of alcian blue(+)- berberine sulfate(-)- safranin(-) mucosal mast cells (MMC) and were derived from immature progenitors in low density fractions. We replated a total of 60 type 1 and 60 type 2 mast cell colonies and examined their capability for producing secondary colonies. Although all of the primary colonies yielded secondary colonies, the replating efficiencies of individual colonies varied over a wide range. Cumulative distributions of secondary colonies from both type 1 and type 2 primary colonies could be fitted well by gamma distributions obtained by computer simulation. These findings are in agreement with the stochastic model for CTMC- and MMC proliferation. Cytological analyses of secondary colonies from primary type 1 colonies revealed heterogeneous distributions of alcian blue(+)- safranin(-)- berberine sulfate(-) mast cells, suggesting that transdifferentiation from mature CTMC to safranin(-)- berberine sulfate(-) mast cells is also governed by stochastic mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakahata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000166:cytology*