Rat Sertoli cells in culture undergo metabolic co-operation with each other and with fibroblasts.
Metabolic co-operation between Sertoli cells from adult rats was detected by adding one group of cells, which were the recipients, to a second group of cells, which had been labelled for 3 h with [3H]uridine and were the donors. Metabolic co-operation also was studied by co-culturing Sertoli cells, which were the donors, with human or Chinese hamster HGPRT- fibroblasts (recipients) in the presence of [3H]hypoxanthine. With both techniques the recipients in contact with donors had significantly more radioactive grains than did the recipients alone. In all cases the proportion of interactions that were positive for metabolic co-operation was greater than 80%.
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002450:Cell Communication; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000378:metabolism*