title: Steel factor controls the proliferation and differentiation of neonatal mouse epidermal melanocytes in culture.
abstract: Mouse epidermal melanoblasts and melanocytes preferentially proliferated from disaggregated epidermal cell suspensions derived from newborn mouse skin in a serum-free melanocyte-proliferation medium (MDMD) and melanoblast-proliferation medium (MDMDF) supplemented with dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) and/or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Pure cultured primary melanoblasts and melanocytes were then further cultured with MDMD/MDMDF supplemented with steel factor (SLF) (keratinocyte depletion). SLF increased the number of melanoblasts and melanocytes as well as the proportion of differentiated melanocytes in the absence of keratinocytes. Flow cytometric analysis showed that melanoblasts and melanocytes in the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle were increased by treatment with SLF. Moreover, an anti-SLF antibody added to MDMD/MDMDF from the initiation of the primary culture (in the presence of keratinocytes) inhibited the proliferation of melanoblasts and melanocytes as well as the differentiation of melanocytes. These results suggest that SLF is one of the keratinocyte-derived factors involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of neonatal mouse epidermal melanocytes in culture in cooperation with cAMP elevator and bFGF.
authors: Radiation Hazards Research Group, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, Japan. thirobe@nirs.go.jp
authors: Tomohisa
authors: T
authors: Hirobe
authors: Masatake
authors: M
authors: Osawa
authors: Shin-Ichi
authors: S
authors: Nishikawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016195:G2 Phase / Q000502:physiology; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008938:Mitosis / Q000502:physiology; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D003994:Bucladesine; D000242:Cyclic AMP