title: Isolation and characterization of a bovine visceral endoderm cell line derived from a parthenogenetic blastocyst.
abstract: A cell line, BPE-1, was derived from a parthenogenetic 8-d in vitro-produced bovine blastocyst that produced a cell outgrowth on STO feeder cells. The BPE-1 cells resembled visceral endoderm previously cultured from blastocysts produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF). Analysis of the BPE-1 cells demonstrated that they produced serum proteins and were negative for interferon-tau production (a marker of trophectoderm). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the cells were a polarized epithelium connected by complex junctions resembling tight junctions in conjunction with desmosomes. Rough endoplasmic reticulum was prominent within the cells as were lipid vacuoles. Immunocytochemistry indicated the BPE-1 cells had robust microtubule networks. These cells have been grown for over 2 yr for multiple passages at 1:10 or 1:20 split ratios on STO feeder cells. The BPE-1 cell line presumably arose from embryonic cells that became diploid soon after parthenogenetic activation and development of the early embryo. However, metaphase spreads prepared at passage 41 indicated that the cell population had a hypodiploid (2n = 60) unimodal chromosome content with a mode of 53 and a median and mean of 52. The cell line will be of interest for functional comparisons with bovine endoderm cell lines derived from IVF and nuclear transfer embryos.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Biotechnology and Germplasm Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA. ntalbot@anri.barc.usda.gov
authors.forename: Neil C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Caperna
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ealy
authors.forename: Le Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Blomberg
authors.forename: Wesley M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Garrett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology*; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D033481:Chromosomes, Mammalian / Q000235:genetics; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D004707:Endoderm / Q000166:cytology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007370:Interferon Type I; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010312:Parthenogenesis; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C020947:interferon tau