[Establishment of conditionally immortalized rat cochlear greater epithelial ridge and lesser epithelial ridge cell lines using a retrovirus-mediated gene transfer technique].
OBJECTIVE
To facilitate further investigation of the function of greater epithelial ridge (GER) and lesser epithelial ridge (LER) cells, a greater a lesser epithelial ridge cell immortal line originated from postnatal rat cochleae were established.


METHODS
The GER and LER cells were dissected from P1 rats cochleae and infected with SV40-LT antigen using a retrovirus-mediated method. The established cell lines were purified by monoclone technique and identified following morphology observation and immunocytochemical staining.


RESULTS
The established cell lines had been stably maintained continuously for more than 20 passages and displayed many features similar to epithelial cells. They grew in patches and assumed a polygonal morphology. Immunocytochemical characterization revealed that these cells could be labeled by GER/LER marker (Isletl) and SV40-LT antigen.


CONCLUSIONS
In the present experiment, the GER and LER cell line from postnatal rat cochleae has been successfully established and this cell line may potentially provide an invaluable system for studying hair cell differentiation and regeneration as well as the therapy of sensory deafness caused by auditory hair cells loss.
Zhang
Yuan
Y
Institute of Otolaryngology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.
Guo
Weiwei
W
Song
Wei
W
Zheng
Guiliang
G
Zhai
Suoqiang
S
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D003051:Cochlea / Q000166:cytology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D016591:Histocytological Preparation Techniques; D051381:Rats; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection