title: Hormone-dependent expression of gamma-casein mRNA in mouse mammary epithelial cells cultured on floating collagen gels.
abstract: Mammary epithelial cells isolated from pregnant mice were plated on a collagen gel matrix and cultured in a serum-free medium supplemented with combinations of insulin, dexamethasone and prolactin (PRL). After the cells formed a monolayer, the collagen gel was detached from the culture dish and allowed to float in the medium. Quantification of gamma-casein mRNA by a competitive PCR method revealed that the cells on the floating gel accumulated considerably larger amounts of gamma-casein mRNA than the cells on the gel remained attached to the dish. Under these floating collagen gel culture conditions, addition of both dexamethasone and PRL to the insulin-supplemented basal medium maximally stimulated the accumulation of gamma-casein mRNA. These observations strongly suggest that the status of the extracellular matrix as well as hormones controls the differentiation of mouse mammary epithelial cells at the mRNA level.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory, Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Enami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005782:Gels; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011247:Pregnancy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D005782:Gels; D007328:Insulin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011388:Prolactin; D003094:Collagen