title: Effect of spatial arrangement of the basement membrane on cultured pleomorphic adenoma cells. Study by immunocytochemistry and electron and confocal microscopy.
abstract: In a cell line from human pleomorphic adenoma (AP2 cells) we studied the response of these cells to basement membrane proteins. The culture was characterized as myoepithelial-like by transmission electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry. AP2 cells were grown in contact with a reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel). Cells grown on Matrigel showed conspicuous phenotypic alterations, depending on how the substrate was applied. Cells grown on the top of Matrigel developed a dendritic phenotype, exhibiting thin, long and intercommunicating cytoplasmic extensions resembling normal myoepithelial cells. Cells grown inside Matrigel formed multi-layered clusters. Light, confocal and transmission electron microscopy showed that these clusters were formed by double-layered epithelioid cells delimiting luminal spaces. The cells facing the lumen were cuboidal, showing microvilli at the apical plasmalemmal and junctional complexes. The spatial arrangement of basement membrane is a key modulator of morphogenetic changes and cytodifferentiation of tumour myoepithelial cell lineage in culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Brazil. rgjaeger@siso.fo.usp.br
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kachar
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Jaeger
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000328:Adult; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured