title: Establishment and characterization of a murine mast cell line derived from NC/Nga mice.
abstract: A cell line, termed NCJ, was established from the bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) of NC/Nga mice that are mouse models for atopic dermatitis. NCJ cells expressed FcepsilonRI and c-kit and showed a metachromasia of the granules with a toluidine blue-positive and safranin-negative staining pattern that is characteristic for immature-type mast cells. Interestingly, NCJ cells showed proliferation independent of IL-3, which was associated with constitutive phosphorylation of Raf-1 and Erk kinases. Although NCJ cells had several characteristics of mast cells, we failed to detect FcepsilonRI-mediated beta-hexosaminidase release and its histamine content. These findings indicated that NCJ cells represented a mast cell line with an immature phenotype and the ability to proliferate in the absence of mast cell growth factors. NCJ cells might thus be useful to study the molecular basis of mast cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Atopy (Allergy) Research Center, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hira
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitsuishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ra
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010619:Phenazines / Q000737:chemistry; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf / Q000378:metabolism; D014048:Tolonium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D007377:Interleukin-3; D010619:Phenazines; D014048:Tolonium Chloride; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C009195:safranine T